Second Chances
by Dyna Dee
Summary: YAOI Duo goes to Earth seeking a home and haven only to be crushed by disappointment. He learns once again that when one door closes, another opens.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own nor profit from my GW stories

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Warnings: Yaoi, some language, mild angst, possible NCS

Part 1 - The Last Entry in the Journal of Duo Maxwell

With the gold embossed sheet of paper in one hand, and a round trip ticket for a shuttle ride to Earth in the other, I made my mind up ahead of time that in accepting the invitation and going, I would kill two birds with one stone; I would have a great time, and find a place to belong. The first of my goals was easy to predict as the high brows of the kingdom of Sanq were sure to know how to throw the party of the century, and I was determined not to be disappointed with that high expectation. There undoubtedly would be fine food and expensive booze flowing freely that night along with good dance music and all the right people bumping elbows in their expensive, designer clothing. Well, yeah, there was sure to be an occasional oversight, like a half-empty glass of champagne not immediately filled, a dropped napkin on the floor and, oh yeah, me.

That's right, me. How a street kid from the ghettos of L-2 ever got invited to the biggest shindig of the century was beyond me. Oh, how could I forget, I piloted a gundam, and not just any everyday, run-of-the-mill, ordinary gundam, but the bad ass suit known as Deathscythe Hell, definitely the best mobile suit weapon ever made. That fact alone made me mildly acceptable and my invitation absolutely necessary, since the invite was to a celebration of peace the came from the last successful battle marking the end of the war between Earth, the Colonies, and the arrogant, delusional, would-be-Emperor, Deikum Barton.

It had been three months since that decisive battle ended, and that same amount of time since I'd seen any of the other pilots. From news reports I'd seen, it took a good month for Heero to recover in the hospital from the wounds he'd gotten when Wing exploded and fell to earth, and two months for Relena to plan this right and proper celebration for the rich and infamous. 

As for the gundam pilots, we all sort of drifted off in different directions after the last battle. Quatre was whisked off to L-4 by his family and business while Trowa escaped again to the circus. Wufei seemed to naturally merge with the newly formed Preventers organization and Heero, once recovered, took up the offered job as Relena's bodyguard. I returned to L-2 to a job offer from Hilde to work at her father's salvage yard.

Which comes to the second goal I had in mind when I accepted the invitation, that being to find a place where I felt I could comfortably, truly belong. I realized after six weeks of doing the daily eight to five, mundane and boring grind, that the salvage business wasn't enough to keep me occupied. I was used to moving constantly, my life filled with action, adventure as well as misadventures. Besides, being a kid from the streets, I never had a permanent address, well, until the orphanage. That was a good time for me, the short time that it lasted. It gave me a feeling for what a home might be like. But like most things in my screwed-up life, it didn't last long enough to settle me. In fact, in some ways, it was very unsettling to me. 

The loss of the people who cared for me, even for that short time in my early childhood, had a definite impact on my being able to attach myself emotionally to others or stay in one place for too long. The fear of losing anyone close to me became too great to bear sometimes, so I used my sometimes caustic personality to keep people at arms length. After losing all my security when Solo and the kids in our little gang died from the sickness that spread through L-2, I received a second chance when I was given a bed at the Maxwell Orphanage. Life wasn't perfect there, but it was better than the streets, plus being warm, having a bed and something in my stomach on a regular basis, even if it was basically the same food every day, helped me think that maybe life did offer something better than what I'd come to know.

But all good things come to an end, or so they say. Once again, just as I was beginning to feel an attachment to the people around me, I experienced the emotional devastation of losing those I cared about once again. Lost to me as well in the unexpected attack on the orphanage was the home I'd felt safe in when it was turned into burnt ruins by Alliance soldiers. I ended up a dazed, mournful and angry and lonely boy living on the streets once again, hiding and stealing just to stay alive and intact.

Sister Helen used to say that when one door closes, another opens. I began to believe it when I was found by a crazy old bastard who discovered my deftness at stealth and thievery. He decided I was the perfect candidate for a secret project that promised me the revenge I craved against the colony's enemy for all that had been taken from me. He introduced me to my next second chance, the mighty gundam Deathscythe. I remember gazing up at the large, black and partially built gundanium giant and thinking it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. It stood looking majestic and darkly omnipotent, a promise of death incarnate to those who trod down on the poor and the oppressed, or those who would foolishly stand against it. In gazing at it in a manner similar to worship, I desperately wanted the chance to pilot it more than anything I'd ever wanted before. It would be my chance, my vengeance for Father Maxwell, Sister Helen and the kids that were unconscionably murdered as an example to others for housing terrorists, which I guess is what I was. It was my fault they were targeted and my guilt to bear that they died. 

As the time drew near for me to take my gundam into action, I found out what the true orders for my buddy Deathscythe was, and in my reaction to the news, I discovered that I did have a conscience after all. Even though I wanted, no craved revenge, there was no way anyone was going to use my gundam, something I'd come to cling to emotionally, to kill millions of innocents on Earth by dropping a colony on it. I knew it was the Alliance who was my enemy, and those who made decisions to kill innocent colonialists that I wanted revenge on, not all the people of Earth. 

Old habits die hard I guess as I ended up stealing the war machine from the old geezer, G. Hey, I wasn't the total bad guy there, it was his suggestion. Guess he wasn't so bad after all. 

I couldn't actually believe, once I got to Earth and began to fight against my true enemy, all of the second chances piloting my gundam brought: a chance for revenge, a chance to do something right and good, a chance to have friends with common goals, and a chance to know what it was to love and give affection, and a chance to have the real power to do something important.

From the first time I entered Earth's atmosphere, I never really believed that I'd survive the war, but somehow I did. I guess in doing so, I gave myself yet another second chance, one that I'm not sure I'm ready for; a life beyond a war, hate and the deep seeded need for vengeance. 

As I think back on it now, all the run-around we pilots experienced on Earth and space, well, it's no wonder I've had a hard time with an ordinary job meant for someone who was...well, not ambitious, unimaginative, and lacked any dreams. I'd been off L-2 and had seen the glories of the planet below the colonies, and they were enough to give me more dreams than my small body could hold. I now knew of possibilities that would otherwise been unimaginable had I not seen and experienced the wonders planet side, and I couldn't settle for just a mundane existence on L-2.

The arrival of the golden engraved invitation to the Earth and Colonies' Peace Celebration at the Sanq Kingdom Palace was just the excuse I needed to leave L-2 again. Funny, it didn't feel like home or a place I belonged to any more. And though it had the familiarity of a hometown, it held too many bad memories for me to want to stay and set down any roots. Two days before the party, I packed all my meager belongings, along with my hopes for a brighter future, and said my thanks and goodbyes to whatever friends I'd made, then turned my eyes and a hopeful heart towards Earth.

My hopes? you question. Yeah, I was fervently hoping that at least one of the other former pilots, guys I considered my comrades and friends, would have a place for me in their life. Sounds needy, doesn't it? Ah, what the hell, I've always been a bit needy. Must be because I lacked physical and emotional attention that I hungered for as a child on the street of L-2. But my hopes weren't completely groundless. You see, during the war we kind of...well, you know...became close, despite my internal warning claxons going off that letting someone, anyone into my heart would only mean loss and disappointment sooner or later. 

I was closer to some of the pilots more than others. Take Heero, *sighs*. He was my first real sexual experience. Talk about intense. At first, I found myself fascinated with him, and thinking about him all the time. I tried, but couldn't seem to fight my unexplained attraction to him. He was dangerous and mysterious, and for the first time in my life, I wanted a boy to kiss me and touch me intimately. I mentally fought myself against pursuing him, but almost against my will I flirted with him outrageously, needing some sort of response from his placid face and well-controlled emotions. It took several weeks of curt rebuffs, some shoving and a punch or two before I got the reaction I was hoping for.

I knew from the first time he roughly pulled me down onto his bed and pinned me under him that he would always be the aggressor in our so-called relationship. Once we figured out what we were doing, we had a couple of wild weeks of discovering ways to please each other before his self-destruct gig. I was surprised by how devastated, hurt and deserted I felt after watching him on my vid screen inside Deathscythe as he hit the self-destruct button and flew through the air from the blast, along with the debris from Wing. I knew at that very moment, when I felt my heart painfully breaking, that I had stupidly lost it to the Perfect Soldier. It seemed my bad luck followed me still, as I lost the only person I had found to love since the orphanage.

As it always did, my luck turned, and it seemed just good street-kid fortune that I fell in with Quatre after watching my lover literally bite the dust. Through his empathic ability, he felt my grief and loss even though I tried to hide it behind my practiced smile, and in the time we had together, hiding from OZ, he sought me out to offer me comfort. The beautiful and gentle blond desert prince led me to his bed and taught me the fine art of kissing softly, leading gently from the first tentative touch of our lips together, to a more lingering and satisfying physical expression of our combined needs, to an even greater passion. It was...an unusual experience for me to go slowly and almost methodically down a path of many small steps from a kiss to the final act of coupling with a lover; it was something Heero obviously had a hard time stopping to do as he usually went from a first, desperate kiss to throwing me on a bed or on the ground and ripping off my clothes to get to my body. I didn't complain at the time because I didn't really know any better, and I had decided early on that attention in any form from Heero was always definitely better than none at all. 

In that brief period of time that we had together, Quatre let me take the role of aggressor, confessing to me he didn't really know what to do. Despite that, my blond friend took the secondary role of a gentle teacher, not that he had any experience, he just followed his heart and naturally took things a bit slower, telling me that he only did to my body what he wanted me to do to his. This made the experience of making love different enough from how I had been with Heero, that I found it cathartic, not to mention very satisfying. In many ways Quatre was like me in the more submissive role that I'd had with Heero. I might have been dominant to Quat, but he was anything but passive in return. I think I knew then that I wouldn't be submissive for just anybody, but I wished with all my broken heart that it could have been my continuing role with my former, deceased lover.

As we lay in bed at night, again, skin to skin, sated and feeling melancholy, I let down my mask and solemnly and in a slightly broken voice told Quatre of my feelings for Heero, that I had discovered too late that I loved him. I think he sensed anything he would say to try and comfort me wouldn't do much good, so instead he asked how we met and inquired as to how we finally bridged the gap between friend to lover. He then spoke of his budding feelings for the Heavyarms pilot I'd met only briefly, Trowa. I didn't know this pilot and had only seen him on the vid screen during communications, but I envied him. Quatre's soft spoken words in describing the Heavyarms pilot alerted me to not let my heart get too emotionally involved with the Sandrock pilot, because it was more than evident that his heart was already engaged elsewhere.

Trowa and Wufei? I'm not as close to them as the other two, but for history's sake, I feel the need to write about how I got to know them better. I finally met up with each them after they'd both experienced a trauma in their lives. Trowa, after he lost his memory and came back to try to fight in protecting the colonies, despite his handicap. He shared the same malady as the rest of us; he had nightmares. Feeling lost in not knowing his past and over his head in battle, he welcomed my comforting words and spontaneous hug of support and sought me out to hold him when he was afraid to sleep. He was very sensitive to the cold and shivered a lot, and at times his body quaked as memories of being left alone and floating in space for a long period of time ambushed him. Quatre was too deep into his guilt from his Zero episode to take my role as Trowa's comforter, but I assured him I would not do anything that would compromise our friendship nor his chances of being with Trowa one day, and I made sure I held fast to that promise. I owed Quatre too much for helping me during that rough time in my life when I thought Heero had pulled a harikari stunt. I would never do anything that would jeopardize Quatre's possible future relationship with the guy he'd fallen for. After he'd gained his memory back, he naturally turned to Quatre and didn't need my reassurances again, but my efforts weren't lost as I had gained a new friend.

Wufei and I escaped the moon base at the same time with our nearly finished, better-than-ever gundams. Almost suffocating together can bring two very different people closer than they ever thought was possible. We stayed together for a short time and I learned that Wufei suffered nightmares and tremendous guilt concerning his dead child-wife, and he was haunted by his failure in his face-to-face battle with Treize. 

I heard him cry out one night as I was returning to my room after working in the hanger on Deathscythe. I entered his room to wake him up and, well, after talking a bit, I asked him if he'd like me to stay with him so he wouldn't have to be alone. His nightmare had been so intense that he grabbed hold of me like a life line and held me tight. From then on he would seek me out and hold onto me after a hideously bad dream would wake him up, leaving him feeling distressed or panicked. He didn't feel comfortable doing much else with a boy, and frankly, I was glad as I was already taken and he wasn't my type romantically. I respected that our tentative friendship had its limits and that made it easier to deal with in the long run. I was more than comfortable with the arrangement the way it was. After all, I was back with my resurrected Heero, but he was gone a lot, and too busy or injured when he was around to pay much attention to me. It was just that I had this innate need to be held once in a while, to be comforted and told I wasn't alone in the war or in the universe. It's funny now that I think about it, but it was during Heero's absences that I forged the friendships with the other pilots, and I counted myself fortunate; I had good, trustworthy friends, and it felt wonderful to know that they needed me and that in turn, they could meet some of the needs I had, platonically, that is. 

After Wufei's colony was destroyed and he was reunited with the rest of us, I sought him out on Peacemillion and found him secluded in his cabin. He sat in his position of meditation and I moved to sit next to him on his bunk and asked how he was doing, having heard the news of how his colony came to be destroyed. It seemed no one had asked him until then, and to my surprise, he broke down, having held his guilt and grief inside himself since that horrifying moment when he witnesses the destruction of all held dear. I held him for hours, trying to comfort him by telling him it wasn't his fault. We connected at a deeper level of friendship that night, for I understood his loss all too well. That night was also tinged with a bitter memory, as Heero was anything but pleased that I'd spent so much time in the Chinese pilot's room. We had one of those unpleasant, blow-out arguments we sometimes had when the tension was high, usually just before a battle or mission.

So, as you can see, I had some sort of relationship with all of the guys and I was banking all my hopes in going to the big, formal shindig that at least one of them would want or need me and would give me some direction in my somewhat vagabond life. 

I arrived at the palace mid morning the day of the Celebration, and taking a deep breath, I started up the stairs towards my future.

TBC

  
  



	2. part 2

Warnings and disclaimers on first page of fic.

Second Chances

By Dyna Dee

Part 2

The Last Entry in the Journal of Duo Maxwell 

I was formally escorted to my room, which, I was informed, happened to be Heero's permanent home. A shiver of hope went through me when I learned from the stiff-backed butler that I would be rooming with my sometimes lover. I was almost giddy with hope that Heero had asked that I room with him during my stay. You see, we hadn't parted well or communicated over the three months that followed the last battle because..., well, I felt hurt and mad as hell at him. That sucker punch to the gut he gave me when we needed to escape the guards on the colony we, along with Trowa, had saved from being plunged into the Earth was nothing more than a dirty trick, not to mention that it hurt like hell. Somewhere in my mind I knew why he did it, in his own strange way he was trying to protect me. He didn't want me to follow him into any more danger. But dammit, we were partners up to that point, and you just don't count Duo Maxwell out when things get a bit dangerous, that's when I do my best work. But as I looked back in retrospect at his motives, going over and over that day in my mind, and not only from my head, but from my heart, I could only come to the sad conclusion that Heero just didn't trust me, and that leaving me in the hands of the enemy, even if Trowa was there, was a dirty deal. And so I held onto my anger those three long months and kept my distance, keeping track of Heero's health and whereabouts from the newsvids and Quatre, who sent me a regular update on the guys. 

I remember standing in front of his bedroom door and turning my thoughts back to the present. The butler knocked on the door, waited, and when he got no reply, he put a key into the keyhole. Before he opened the door, I had decided to let go of the anger and resentment I'd felt about Heero. Having done that, I was not just a little disappointed when I was let into his room to find he wasn't there to greet me.

Once the butler left me alone in Heero's room, I looked around to see it was immaculately clean, that wasn't so surprising, but I also saw a space that didn't remind me at all of my occasional lover. The bed frame, head and footboard, as well as the bedposts were made in a highly glossed, rich mahogany wood. The four tall, fancy-carved bedposts were fashioned to go from a thicker base to gradually bubble up to a small point at the top which ended half way to the ceiling. The bed also had the thickest mattresses I'd ever seen. Even at my present five foot five inch height, I'd have to jump just to get on the damn thing. The furniture around the room: desk, tables and chairs, were also designed in the same dark, glossy wood and had fancy french-styled legs. I guess it was kind of masculine, well maybe not the bedspread which was off white and had pale green leaves that also looked french in design and ran in a pattern of rows down the length of the large queen-sized bed. The bedspread matched the ceiling to floor curtains that hung over the two long windows facing the gardens at the back of the palace. With the fancy gold wainscoting and crown molding, and beautiful paintings of serene landscapes on the walls, the bedroom looked like something that belonged in a palace, so I guess it was a perfect room for a perfect man. It just didn't seem to fit the Heero I knew who liked things straight lined and functional. 

I quickly freshened up and dressed in clean black jeans and a fitted, light-grey and ribbed, long sleeved sweater and set out in search of my friends. It took a while, but I found the three of them in the formal gardens to the back of the immense marble building. From the moment I laid eyes on them I knew one thing for sure; I was underdressed. Oh, don't get me wrong, I looked sharp. I've always worn clothes well, thanks to my slim build, but the three guys walking towards me were clothed in dress slacks, long-sleeve shirts and expensive-looking ties.

I held my hands out in a look of surprise as they drew near. "Oh man, no one told me there was a funeral today!" I exclaimed with a smile growing.

I was glad to see a returning smile on the others' faces. I also noticed Quatre and Trowa were walking closer together than what was usually their norm. As my eyes met blondie's, he gave me a knowing wink. I smiled in return, genuinely happy for him and for Trowa. Now the field of possibilities narrowed down to two. I couldn't intrude on the new lovebirds, could I?

Each of the three guys suffered my enthusiastic embrace with different degrees of reciprocation. Quatre has always been a great hugger, Wufei and Trowa were decidedly reserved but politely friendly.

We went into lunch together in one of the palace's smaller dining rooms, finding it nearly full with more of Relena's guest. We found a table near the back corner and got caught up on each other's lives since we parted three months previous. I was working up my courage to ask about Heero when everyone's attention turned to the dinning room's doorway; and there he stood, looking incredibly handsome in a dark blue suit, a crisp white shirt and a very conservative tie. I clearly remember my heart speeding up at the sight of him, but only until I looked to his right and saw Relena, looking poised and regal and dressed in a pale blue suit. She looked beautiful and suddenly much older then the school girl I remembered seeing for the first time two years ago. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a perfect twist behind her head, and the skirt and short jacket she wore fit her slender figure perfectly, giving her an air of confidence and competence. Together, the couple reeked power and class. My heart faltered so painfully, I was sure everyone around me could hear it grinding to a halt. It was obvious with her arm linked through Heero's that they were one of those power couples you read about in international magazines, the ones who make a difference in the world. Heero looked...complete. I doubted he even needed a friend much less a part-time lover hanging around.

"Duo?" Quatre's voice called my name and made me realize I'd been staring a little too long at the handsome couple and God only knows what my facial expression looked like. I turned to look at the blond and saw an expression of sad compassion on his face. I shook my head and managed to smile back, letting him know I was alright.

"So," I said a little louder than necessary, jittery nerves do that to me, "what's up for the rest of the day?" I asked.

"There's a schedule of events designed to keep us entertained," Wufei replied as he carefully picked at a piece of chicken on his fine china plate. "There's horseback riding, tennis, swimming, a museum tour, billiards and some lawn games." 

"Anything for people under fifty?" I asked with sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"This is what people in polite society do to pass the time, Duo," Quatre answered, not unkindly, but in his gentle way of informing me, probably assuming I really didn't know.

"Does nothing appeal to you?" Trowa asked me, one eyebrow raised in a silent challenge.

"Well, swimming's out," I declared. "I can't show up tonight with wet hair." I stretched back in my chair and put both hands behind my head, looking relaxed. "I've never tried horseback riding. That might be interesting."

"Pity the horses." I heard Wufei mumble next to me and I gave him an elbow and a scowling glance.

"Guess I could go out back and attack some balls," I said with a naughty grin on my face, only slightly referring to the lawn bowling I'd seen being played on the flat area of grass beneath Heero's bedroom window. Quatre, having just taken a sip of his lemonade, choked on it and began a coughing fit.

"Duo!" he gasped out in a shocked voice even as Trowa patted his back looking concerned. 

I rewarded him with a knowing smile. "Sorry Quatre. Guess I'll leave that to you and Trowa."

The former Heavyarms pilot finally got it and frowned at me. I was about to tell him to lighten up when I felt a firm hand painfully grip my shoulder.

"Hello Duo." Heero's voice called out from above me. I looked up and back with a welcoming smile only to find his deep blue eyes glaring at me.

"What?" I asked. "What'd I do now?" I was genuinely at a loss.

My former lover continued to frown at me. "Can't you behave, especially in a public setting?" he asked.

I was honestly taken aback by his rebuff. "Good to see you too, buddy. How are ya?" I replied, choosing to point out his flawed welcome. His frown deepened, and it was then that I noticed his pointed glance towards Wufei. I followed his line of sight to see my fine Chinese friend nod his head in some sort of secret agreement between the two. Damn, there's nothing I hate more than not knowing what's going on.

"Did you find the room?" Heero also chose a different direction to continue the conversation.

"How could I miss it when a perfect stranger greeted me and showed me the way?" I replied rather peevishly and then added an extra little dig. "You're living quite the high life now aren't ya, Heero? Too good to meet a friend at the door?"

"The hired help and amenities comes with the job," he replied, then dropped this line of questioning as he turned his head to see if Relena was still situated in the chair she'd picked to sit in and have her lunch. "I've got to go, " he said without a look back in my direction.

"Sure, see ya pal," I answered, then turned back towards the table, miffed at the unsatisfying reunion. "And by the way, you look great," I called over my shoulder after him as he stepped away from the table, then added, "on a leash." I didn't wait to see if he reacted, but turned back to my half eaten plate of food. It was going to stay that way as I'd completely lost my appetite.

There seemed to be a couple of tense moments of silence at the table before Wufei finally spoke up. "Are you finished, Duo?"

"I guess." I pushed my plate away from me. "Lost my appetite."

"If you'll wait until I change, we can go to the stables and try horseback riding," he offered generously and completely out of character.

The light bulb went on in my head. Yes, a little slow on the uptake on that one. Heero had asked Wufei to dog my heels and keep me out of trouble. I took in a deep, disappointed breath and let it out slowly, hoping to calm the resentment and anger that was building in me. Though those feelings hurt me deeply, they were easier to deal with than the deep cutting hurt I was trying to hold in check from feeling completely rejected.

"Sure Wu, whatever you want," I replied in a less than an enthusiastic tone.

He stood and looked pleased with himself. "I'll meet you on the front lawn in five minutes," he told me. "A tram will take us up to the Northern pasture."

I nodded and watched as he left the room.

"Duo." Quatre's sympathetic voice called out to me yet again.

"Don't worry about me Quatre." I looked over to see twin looks of concern on his and Trowa's face. "I'll give Wufei an afternoon to remember." I couldn't help but smile crookedly at all the possibilities those words brought to mind.

"Please, Duo." Quatre almost sounded like he was pleading. "Try to behave. It's very important to Heero that we fit in here and everything goes smoothly. Remember, we're supposed to keep as low a profile as possible."

I felt my anger join the other emotions I was struggling with adding fuel to the fire. But instead of giving into it, I stood up, determined to leave instead of saying anything that might cause the scene they were all so anxious to avoid. "You guys really think so little of me, don't you?" I said in a low voice that even I could tell sounded hurt. I then turned my back on them and briskly walked away, back straight and head held high, and completely ignoring his blondness as he called after me.

I made it out of the dining room, down the elegant corridor with the tall walls lined with massive portraits of depressed-looking dead people, and only three feet from the front door before the two of them caught up to me. I ignored Quatre calling my name again and kept walking, appearing completely oblivious of their presence right behind me telling me to stop.

"Duo..Duo please stop!" Quatre pleaded, but I was offended enough to maintain my stubborn gait.

I made it down the large marble steps before my arm was grabbed and I was forcefully turned around to face a glaring green eye. "Let me go, Trowa," I said through gritted teeth. "You're the one making a scene now." 

"You're going to stop and listen to us," he said calmly but with an edge to his voice that let me know he meant it.

I yanked my arm away from his hold and rubbed at the sore muscle. "This was a big mistake," I said to the both of them with a steady glare. "I never should have come here. You've all made it clear you're embarrassed of me. Instead of seeing my friends, I've been met by upper-crust strangers. I never knew until now that snobbery was contagious."

"How can you say that to us?" Trowa asked me, his own anger building beneath his appearance of calm and control. "I'm a lot like you, Duo. A soldier who's killed and is rough around the edges. But I see a need here to act with proper decorum and it's our hope, for Heero's sake, that you'll make the effort too."

"Fine!" I said, anger flaring like heated sparks from my eyes. "I'll do my best for his highness, but believe me, I'm not stupid, I'm seeing exactly where my place is, and it's not here."

I turned abruptly to dramatically stalk off again before I said something I couldn't take back, but was immediately stopped by having two arms come from behind and wrap around my chest, and a body similar in size to my own was pressed up against my back.

"I'm sorry, Duo. Please don't be mad," Quatre whispered into my ear, his face resting against the side of my head and his lips touching my ear lobe as he spoke. "You're my friend, my first lover, please don't be mad at us." 

How anyone can stay mad at Quatre I'll never know. He knows just what to say and exactly how to say it. Needless to say, I melted. He must have felt my tense body relax because he loosened his hold just enough to move to the front of me and give me the hug I really needed. For that one moment, I felt cared for, needed, and maybe even loved.

"You guys are making a scene," Trowa said teasingly. Evidently he couldn't hold onto his anger around Quatre either. I reluctantly pulled away from the embrace with a chuckle and stepped back.

"Better?" Quatre asked with a slight, cautious smile.

"Yeah, you button pusher," I replied in a lightly accusing tone to Quatre as I ruffled his neatly combed hair. Though inwardly, I wasn't thrilled to come to the realization that I might have just been manipulated by a master strategist.

I looked up and back at the palace, towards the entrance, and saw Heero standing just outside the grand doorway, frowning down at us. He must have followed the three of us out of the dining room. "Man, what is wrong with him?" I asked in disgust, and my two companions turned to see who I was referring to.

"He's under a lot of pressure," Trowa answered.

"Well it looks like his intestines are tied up in a knot and he needs a double dose of a laxative." I observed dryly, causing the two to share a guilty smile at my comment.

Wufei chose that moment to exit the building behind the unhappy looking Heero, dressed in dark blue jeans and white polo shirt. They exchanged a few words before Heero returned to the palace and Wufei headed for me.

"Well, here comes my date, or should I say watch dog?" I asked out loud, then turned to the two next to me. "What are you guys going to do?"

"Maybe some tennis or lawn bowling," Quatre answered with a twitching smile. "You know, play with some balls."

Trowa pinked up nicely and I barked out a laugh just as Wufei approached with a questioning eyebrow raised, obviously wondering what was so funny.

"Believe me Wu, ya had to be here for it," I told my slightly perplexed but grinning Chinese friend.

And so we parted company for the rest of the afternoon. My appointed guardian, and I actually had a great time. Once we reached what was termed the North Stables, we were given the basic instructions on how to operate a horse. My fine steed was a beauty. He was a sorrel colored quarter horse that stood at sixteen and a half hands high, or so I was informed by the rather haughty, strangely dressed stable man. Both the middle-aged, pompous man and the horse kept shifting their eyes at me as if sizing me up. I decided I liked that in a horse, but I didn't like it in a man who spent his day shoveling horse dung. Who was he to act all high and mighty towards me? I wondered. I pointedly ignored the ignoramus and turned my attention to my friend and his animal. Wufei was given a sturdy buckskin, equally as tall and impressive as my horse, but a lot stockier. 

I had to laugh at Wufei, he had this air of experience about him, having ridden a horse once as a child when his parents had taken a trip to China to visit relatives. He must have been a very attentive child as he remembered enough of what he'd learned from that experience years ago to show me now to hold the reins and how to use the stirrups to mount the huge beast. The stuff-shirt barn man told me how to use the reins to turn the horse left or right, to pull back on them in order to stop, and to pull back even further to signal the big fella to step backwards.

Check, check, and double check, I figured this was simple compared to the complexities of operating a gundam. Left, right, back and back further. Easier than driving a car, and I'd been doing that for ages and still didn't have a license. Wufei led me to a path the man had said was a good beginning riding course for us, going through the pasture to a slightly hilly and wooded area. We led the horses out of the fenced area, and seeing a stretch of green pasture laid out in front of me, I turned to Wu with a twinkle of a challenge in my eyes. "Race you to the hill," I said, smiling like an idiot.

"Don't be ridiculous Duo, you....hey!" He shouted out as I soundly kicked my horse's flanks and it bolted, like the mortar shell shot out of a cannon. 

At first, it was scary as hell, but then came the rush of adrenaline at having the powerful animal running at top speed across the field with me hanging onto its back. Thankfully, I had the sense to lean forward and grab hold of the long mane along with the reins. "Sorry pal." I yelled towards the horse's ears that looked to be pinned back even as his long neck and head were stretched out while he ran at what seemed to be full speed. I was pretty sure my voice was lost over the sound of hooves pounding into the earth and of Wufei yelling at me from behind, but still I added to my running companion, "I hate to have my hair pulled too, but until you stop, I'm kinda desperate here." My fear of the height and speed of the horse quickly left me, leaving me with my face to the wind, a growing sense of exhilaration, and my body bouncing in a syncopated rhythm to the pounding of the hooves. With all that going on, I remember I had a smile on my face large enough to just about bust my chops. 

As the stretch of pasture was coming to an end and we neared the path going up the hill, I remembered the reins in my hands and, while still hunched over the neck of the horse, I awkwardly pulled back. I guess it wasn't enough of a pull to stop the horse because the horse slowed from its run only to go into some sort of quick hopping motion that had my butt bouncing wildly up and down rapidly onto the fine leather saddle. I grabbed the thing the man at the stable referred to as the pommel, and hung on for dear life as the ground was looking pretty far away from way up there. I pictured what I must look like, bouncing uncontrollably on the back of a big ass horse with my braid swishing wildly from side to side and started to laugh.

"Pull the reins back," Wufei yelled from just behind me. I turned my head to give him a big smile only to recognize his almond-shaped eyes were wide with fright. His horse was right behind mine and he was reaching for my reins.

"I got it," I told him, not wanting to be thought of needing to be rescued. I did as he instructed and the horse finally came to a stop, his sides expanding and contracting under my legs as he caught his breath. I looked at my friend with a smile of pure delight on my face. "That was so cool," I told him almost breathlessly.

"Don't you ever do that again, Duo." He sternly warned me.

"What's the big deal? I didn't hurt the horse, did I?" I wondered at his anger at me when we had been getting along so well.

He looked at me, his tense expression softening just a bit. "Horseback riding can be dangerous Duo." He told me. "If you're thrown or fall off, you risk serious injuries."

"I was holding on tight," I said in my own defense.

"If he had tripped on a gopher hole or even just stumbled, you could have been thrown off. People have been killed or paralyzed in such an accident."

I could now see my friend had truly been worried about my welfare. Poor Wu, he wasn't used to Duo-watching. "Sorry, Wu-man, I didn't know. I'll be more careful," I said with all sincerity.

Wufei nodded, seeming satisfied at my word, but then he took up my reins for a while, assuring me it was just to make sure the horse didn't bolt again. Bolt? He hadn't bolted the first time. I'd kicked him just like I'd seen the cowboys in the old movies do and got the same result, a fast running sucker. Maybe Wu didn't know as much about horses as he let on. I shrugged and let it go. We resumed our ride, enjoying the beautiful green landscape and the quiet of the wooded hills that surrounded us. It really was a glorious, early spring afternoon. I remember there was still a coolness in the air, but that the sun was shining brightly down on us and I was more than warm enough in my sweater and jeans.

We took that quiet time, away from other people and distractions of the grand palace, to catch up on a more personal level then before on each other's lives. Wufei told me of his job with the Preventers and how much he was enjoying it and that he had started dating and had found for himself his first real apartment. He was definitely getting his life together and I was glad for him.

In turn, I told him of my job on L-2 and how uncomfortable being back on that colony, with all its painful memories, made me feel. I confessed to him that because of that, plus my lack of interest in a dead-end job, that I'd quit it just before leaving for the party, and I was hoping to live Earthside for a while, maybe go back to school to further my chances at getting a good job, something more fulfilling than junkyard work.

Wufei was not always the best communicator, but he had proved to be a good listener. He took in everything I said and nodded his head every once in a while to show he was listening, but no invitation or advice came from him. Being a good listener seemed to be all he had to give me that day.

We returned to our rooms two hours before the banquet was to begin in order to get ready for the evening's festivities. I was surprised to find my trusty duffel bag had been unpacked and a tuxedo was carefully placed on the fancy bed. Whether it was Quatre or Heero's forethought, I didn't know. I'd just been told in my invitation that everything I'd need for the evening would be provided. It seems whoever made that promise was living up to it, all the way down to the socks and glossy black shoes. Everything looked to be just my size.

I went into the large bathroom and gazed in wonder at the enormous Jacuzzi bathtub. I gasped and felt my heart begin to pump rapidly; I was definitely in love! I spent the next sixty minutes relaxing in a very warm bubble bath, my hair wrapped up in a towel to keep it from getting wet, and the pulsing jets gently massaged my back and sides, aching slightly from the horseback riding. I thought, with a deep sigh, that I could get use to this way of life.

I heard the bedroom outer door open and close, but chose to ignore it until a knock sounded loudly and abruptly on the closed bathroom door.

"Duo?" Heero called out.

"No," I replied in a deep voice with an exaggerated accent. "I am Senior Pepe. What are you doing in my room?" I demanded harshly.

The longer the silence on the other side of the door lasted, the harder I had to fight to keep from laughing.

"Duo!" Heero growled out. "I need to use the bathroom. Are you almost done?"

"You can come in if you want. I'm decent," I called back. Yeah, I called being covered in bubbles decent.

The door swung open and Heero, still dressed in his suit and tie, stopped mid-step and stared at me with wide, startled eyes. "You're in the bath," he stated as he blinked in surprise at me.

"Welcome to Earth, Captain Obvious," I said as I gave him the Vulcan hand sign for peace and prosperity, not knowing if he understood it, only that it made me chuckle.

Now it was my turn to stare as he suddenly turned on his heels to leave the room.

"Hey, what's the matter man?" I called out. "It's not like you've never seen me naked before." Sometimes Heero was so weird.

"I need to use the bathroom," he said, stopping in the doorway and turning to look at me, though his eyes looked at anything but me. "Will you be done soon?"

"Yeah." I leaned forward and pulled the plug to the drain to let the water out and shut off the pulsing jets.

"Hand me a towel?" I asked as I stood and tried to work some of the bubbles from off of my body with equally sudsy hands. I must have looked funny standing there naked but for the large patches of bubbles all over my body and the towel wrapped around my head.

Heero turned to the towel rack and pulled a large dark green one off, then handed it to me. His gaze then fully rested on me for the first time since he entered the room. I pretended not to notice, but I was fully aware that his eyes slowly moved up and down my body. I finished drying off and stepped out of the tub and wrapped the towel around my waist. I was standing close enough to Heero that I could feel the heat radiating from off of his body. "Thanks." I smiled and leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He didn't pull away or hit me, so I backed up to look for his reaction. His eyes were blazing from either lust or loathing, it was hard to tell.

"Dammit Duo," he snarled just before he grabbed hold of me and kissed me, hard and open mouthed. I'd forgotten just how brutal his kisses could be when he was unexpectedly turned on. I was hoping he'd settle down a little so I could enjoy the moment better, when I suddenly found myself roughly pushed back from him. I stumbled slightly at the unexpected move and blinked in surprise at my former lover who was wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand as if my taste was repugnant to him. "Don't do this to me Duo. Not now," he growled again.

I blinked at him in astonishment. "I was just saying thanks for the towel, sor-ry," I said and moved to get as far away from him as I could; I had some pride after all, and Heero was proving he still had the uncanny ability to hurt me without hardly trying.

A low growl was my only warning when he grabbed me again, swung me around to face him, and held me a scant second before his mouth was devouring mine. I remember thinking at the time that he was kissing me rather desperately, as if l were the lifeline to a drowning man. But then again, my thoughts were a bit scrambled the moment I felt the towel at my waist yanked from off my hips and Heero's hands began questing about my body like a blind man looking for his lost cane. 

This isn't what I wanted, I told myself. Well, not right now anyway. 

I managed to turn my head to free my mouth. "Heero, we don't have time for this," I said as his lips continued to try to take mine again.

"I'll make time," he mumbled, then pulled back to fix his eyes on me.

"I just took an hour-long bath," I informed him, looking up in his stormy blue eyes. "I don't have time for another." My complaint came out rather breathless. Never let it be said Heero's not a good kisser, not to mention what his more than capable and experienced hands could do to me.

"I'll take care of that too," Heero declared in a husky, bedroom voice as he pulled me close to kiss me stupid once again. Then slowly, he moved down my neck to my chest, kissing my damp skin until he came to rest on his knees. I groaned both with frustration and desire as my head fell back, I felt the towel on my head drop away, leaving my long, loose hair to fall all around me, and both of my eyes closed as I capitulated to him once again. Even as he worked his magic on me, I was mentally flagellating myself. This wasn't how I wanted it to be. I didn't come back to Earth, to this over-inflated party, for a wham, bam, thanks Duo man. I wanted more than sex, I wanted to be cared for, loved, and sheltered, along with some kind of commitment. I needed those things and I didn't care if it was from a friend or a lover. But just as I could never stay mad at Quatre, I didn't have the will to say no to Heero when he wanted me. I cursed myself again for loving him.

I was still braiding my hair when Heero, dressed to the nines in his black tux and a satisfied smile, left the room to escort Relena to the banquet and ball.

"Stupid!" I berated myself in a tone of self loathing only seconds after the door shut behind him. "I shouldn't have come." I always felt low after a quickie with Heero. Don't get me wrong, he always expressed his thanks after our little physically satisfying romps, but then he always turned away and went about his business afterwards. I had this deep need to be held for a long time afterwards and somehow, even though I'm known for my communication skills, I had a hard time telling him that bit of information. Guess I can't blame Heero for not knowing when I didn't tell him, I just always thought that, as a lover, he should know. That small, calloused act, of getting up almost immediately from my side, always made me feel so...empty, and used. And as on other occasions, the fact that we just shared an intimate experience, didn't solicit words of love or devotion from the Perfect Soldier turned bodyguard, and without any expression of those emotions, the act seemed meaningless, almost dirty. It didn't matter I guess that I loved the guy, he apparently just didn't feel the same way about me.

Tying off my braid, I stood in front of the full-length mirror and sighed at my reflection. The dark charcoal-grey tux looked good on me. Whoever chose it matched the cummerbund and tie to the color of my eyes, not an easy feat. It was an odd, unique shade of blue-violet, and I wondered where they ever got such an unusual shade of fabric to make it into such an odd accessory.

I studied my reflection in the mirror, looking for answers to my many questions. I knew I was attractive, I'd have to be the idiot Heero likes to call me if I didn't recognize the looks of appreciation and lust that I got from complete strangers along with those of my acquaintances. With brooding eyes, I frowned at my reflection. I recognized my strengths, my weaknesses, and generally what ticked people off, usually using that knowledge to my advantage. But I couldn't help but ask myself why it was so hard to find someone who could love me? Was it possible for someone to love me? I wondered, suddenly feeling very sad.

My palms itched and I nervously rubbed them against my hip bones, a habit I found myself doing when I'm agitated or nervous. "Just go and have fun," I ordered my reflection. I practiced my Academy Award winning smile to see if I could keep it in place when I really didn't feel like it. Seeing it somewhat intact, I nodded to myself in satisfaction. Taking a deep breath, I held it a moment before slowly expelling it. With the practiced, devil-may-care smile in place, I turned to face the long evening ahead of me.

TBC


	3. part 3

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 3

Warnings and disclaimers on first page of fic

The Last Entry in the Journal of Duo Maxwell, cont.

The banquet was long winded with several important world leaders standing to postulate their beliefs and hopes for enduring peace. Pilot 01 was lauded in each of the speeches as the brave young man who countless times during the war saved the Earth. We had chosen Heero to be the front man for us, having made an agreement with the government to not use our names but the code numbers Oz had attached to us during the war. Because we were still considered juveniles, our identities were kept from the press at large. Even in a private setting like the ball, where Relena had invited all the important political cronies, our names were changed and cameras were forbidden. Heero, being Relena's bodyguard, was simply known as the pilot of Wing Zero, or pilot 01. The other four of us were mentioned in passing a couple of times during speeches, clumped collectively as "the other pilots".

Jealous? No way! I thought it was hysterical knowing how much Heero hated being put in the public spotlight and to be praised as the single harbinger of Peace. Heero knew more than anyone how much we all had lost and suffered before and during the wars. None of us really wanted or needed the praise or accolades that everyone in the political circles seemed too pleased to pass out, especially if it benefitted themselves in return.

During those long two hours of food and talk, I found myself to be a rather contented and happy boy. The speeches I could have done without, but the service, as well as the food, was beyond great and the wine was flowing in abundance. Added to that, I was seated with "the other pilots". In contrast, Heero was stuck sitting next to Relena on the main podium in full view of the large assembly. I had to snicker as I recognized his slight squirm whenever a speaker would turn to him with words of praise, bringing all eyes in the large room to rest upon him. He momentarily lifted his head up from studying his plate and looked our way, and our eyes met. He frowned fiercely at my obvious humor at his discomfort. I winked at him and he quickly looked away. It was kind of a heady feeling to know that the man of the hour, one that every one respected and revered and waited with bated breath for a word to pass from his lips, had indeed used those very lips to drive me crazy in his bathroom an hour ago. I looked at his hands folded neatly together before him, and recalled how those hands gently laid me down on the dark blue, slightly damp bath mat just moments before he took me, how they possessively and deliciously touched me, bringing me to a state of Nirvana once again. Damn, I had it bad for the guy.

Wufei elbowed me out of my thoughts. "Give him a break," he hissed and I chuckled realizing I'd unknowingly been giving Heero my best bedroom eyes while I recounted our earlier tryst. I reached for my wine glass and took a couple of good swallows of the most excellent liquid offering that was quickly refilled by a very diligent waitress. Yeah, I nodded in satisfaction, I could get used to this.

By the time the speeches were over and dessert had been served, Wufei had confiscated my wine glass and had threatened our server with great bodily harm if she replaced it.

When all of us were invited by Relena's closing remarks to adjourn to the ballroom, I was the first to be up and out of my chair. I wasn't all that anxious to go to the ballroom, but to hit the bathroom.

I've determined that liquor mixed with the caffeine jolt from dark, rich coffee served at the end of the meal is not exactly a good mix for the former God of Death. I wasn't drunk, not even near it, but I was very happy and full of energy. I took care of business and returned to the ballroom entrance only to find a long line of elegantly dressed people waiting to enter the ballroom. I decided to wander around for a bit as I didn't feel like waiting in line with a bunch of people I didn't know. I climbed a couple of the stairs of the nearby staircase to see what the hold-up was. It seemed each person entering the ballroom was being formally introduced, making a grand entrance as their name was called out by a loud, resounding male voice. Leave it to the rich and pretentious to come up with that one.

I wandered around a bit and talked to the security guys and waiters hauling exotic looking appetizers and long-stemmed and filled to the top champagne glasses on very large trays. Yep, the waiters and I became pretty good friends. One girl dressed in the waiter get-up and I sat at the top of the grand staircase sipping the mighty fine champagne while we viewed the party goers below and loosely commented on the varied appearances. I remember she was nice and witty, and tried not to stare at me as we chatted, but I don't recall her name.

She said something that, at the time, I thought was hilarious and laughed really hard. I can only guess that my laugh carried because it led my watch dog, Wufei, up the stairs towards me, frowning in disapproval as he all but stomped up the long staircase.

"Hey Wuffie." I greeted him happily.

"Are you drunk?" he asked, already disapproving.

"Nope!" I beamed him my best smile. Yep, I was a happy man. "Just enjoying all that Sanq has to offer," I added holding up my near empty champagne glass.

Before I knew it, he had me up on my feet and moving rapidly down the stairs. "See ya!" I called back to the snickering girl who gave me a brief wave of farewell.

I guess it pays to have done something right in your life, I thought as Wufei escorted me to the front of the long line of guests. I smiled and waved teasingly to all those richly dressed people whom we had just cut in front of as Wufei dragged me forward by holding my elbow in his firm grip. That arm was getting pretty damn sore from all the man handling I'd endured that day and I'd absently rubbed it when he let go.

We stopped at the entrance of the open doorway as a long, red-pointed staff blocked our entry. I first noticed the music, toned-down, techno dance music; not quite my style, but I was sure that after a few more glasses of champagne, it would suit me just fine.

Then my eyes lowered to the long, red staff blocking our entry to the ballroom, my eyes studied it with some fascination and they slowly tracked the length of it to an odd-looking dude in a loud red jacket with gold buttons down the front and on the freaky belled cuffs. I'm sure my eyes looked like they were about to pop out of my head as they scanned down the man's strange costume, from his red jacket to his white knickers and stockings that slipped into the most ridiculous shoes I'd ever seen. They were red, the exact shade of the jacket, slightly heeled with ludicrous red bows on the top.

I heard the man, standing on the other side of the doorway and closer to Wufei, formally ask for our names, so I dragged my eyes from the fascinating but obscene shoes to look in his direction only to see he too was dressed in the exact same costume with a similar staff in his hand as the guy on my side of the doorway. But this guy's ornamental staff was different from the one that was blocking our entrance in that it was topped off with a gold finial top; fancy, shiny and definitely top heavy. Seeing Wufei pause, I quickly supplied the pseudo names for the caller. "I'm Hugh Fakalata and my friend here is Mr. Lo, Mi Hung Lo." Just as Wufei elbowed me sharply in the ribs, the man with the staff raised his right eyebrow skeptically, but continued on with his job. He took the staff and hit the floor three times, and in a clear, resounding voice, announced the names I'd given him. Poor guy, when no one turned to give a questioning look or a giggle in response to the called names, it just pointed out how ridiculous his job was. I wondered how much they had to pay him to stand in that weird outfit and basically do nothing. I could do that, I thought with a smile. The staff blocking out way was raised, allowing us to step into the large room.

"That was cool, man," I said out loud, hoping to make the poor guy feel better about his job. The man who had just announced us looked at me questioningly at my not moving into the room as expected. I gave him a winning smile. "Thanks man," I said. "But could you tell me the name of your tailor?"

I was under the impression that the man was not suppose to smile as he announced each and every guest that passed by him, but I definitely saw his mouth tweak upward.

I felt Wufei pull on me once again. "Dig the shoes guys," I called back over my shoulder. "Are you fraternal or maternal twins, or something kinda freaky? Are you mutated, cloned, or separated siamese twins?"

"Maxwell!" My dear Chinese friend growled out my name in a tone of warning.

"Ah, come on Wu," I complained as I tried to pull out of his grip. "I haven't done anything wrong. Cut me some slack."

"You are trouble waiting to happen," he said with a look of long suffering, but he huffed out a breath and gave me a small indulgent smile.

I reached up and patted his cheek. "Flattery will get you everywhere," I teased him.

He grabbed my hand and flung it away, obviously embarrassed by my touch in public. "Duo, behave," he admonished me more seriously.

I tried not to show nor feel hurt as I answered him. "I'll be good, promise. Let's dance."

"I don't dance with boys," he answered in a clipped tone.

"But I don't know any girls here," I complained and reached over to grab some tasty treats from off a passing tray that a server held out briefly before he continued on.

Wufei rolled his eyes. "Please, you could make friends with a potted plant. Mingle," he ordered. "But don't get drunk and make a scene."

"Party pooper," I pouted and moved onto the dance floor to join in with the rather conservative dancers, less a partner. I turned to give him a last word in parting. "Let your hair down Wu and have some fun."

He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring a silent warning as I lost myself in the dancers.

I don't recall all that happened during that evening, guess I didn't meet many people that left a lasting impression. I do remember sipping champagne throughout the evening though and eating some remarkable as well as disgusting appetizers. 

I danced with everyone not clutching another person, and vaguely remember getting up on the stage and singing a lively song with the band. Hey! I'm a good singer and did a great job. Everyone clapped enthusiastically at the end of my single performance. I took a deep bow and saw Quatre, Trowa and Wufei just off to the right of me in front of the stage, being the great supporters they are. Handing the microphone back to the lead singer, I turned back to face my friends and beamed them a warning smile

"Catch me!" I yelled at them a second before I launched my body off the stage in their direction. Thank the colonies for good reflexes. They caught me, but I never really had any doubt that they wouldn't. Quatre and I laughed heartily, Trowa chuckled, and I could see a lecture about to burst from Wufei about propriety, so I high-tailed it out of there, that is after I gave Trowa and Quatre a quick peck on the cheek.

I wandered the dance floor, danced, ate and talked, but I was becoming bored as there wasn't anything else to do. I sometimes caught a glimpse of Heero in the crowd of partiers, but he was always at Relena's side, and feeling a stab of jealousy, I avoided going anywhere near them. I tilted my head up to look at the tantalizing crystal chandeliers sparkling brilliantly above the large room. Heero would be livid if I tried anything with that, so I squelched the ideas flying through my head. Then my eyes lit on the only object that had really caught my attention that evening. I sauntered over to the red jacket guys, the two of them looking like matching bookends holding up the doorway. They stood impassive and impressive, looking bored and attentive at the same time. I stepped up to the guy with the object that fascinated me from the moment I came into the room, the red staff with the golden finial. I stopped in front of him, exchanged a smile at his slight questioning look, then turned my attention to the stick in his hand and eyed it with appreciation.

"That's pretty impressive," I said with a nod towards the staff. "Is it heavy?"

"No sir," he answered crisply, like a military rookie.

"Really," I drawled out. "That gold top looks a bit heavy. I can only imagine after lifting it up and down as many times as you did that your arm must be tired."

"Just a bit, sir." His eyes twinkled at my inquisitiveness.

"Ya know," I rocked back onto my heels then forward onto the balls of my feet, "I use to have something similar to this in the war and I learned to do some pretty fancy moves with it."

The man's eyebrows raised up in interest.

"Yep," I continued. "It took a lot of practice, but I became waaaay efficient." I gave him my crooked smile that always seemed to win over the majority of people I tried to con into something.

Five minutes later, I had the top-heavy staff in my hands and I cautiously flipped it over from one hand to the other, testing its balance. Then with a flick of the wrist, I flipped it, one handed.

"Don't drop it," Harold cautioned me, suddenly looking very nervous. Yeah, I was now on a first name basis with the two bookends. They still held their posts, but watched me with nervous curiosity.

"It's all in the wrist and fingers," I told them, even as I straightened my arm and set the staff into a spinning motion. It took a few moments to get my momentum, but soon the six foot long, red painted wood pole with the ornately crafted gold top became a blurred wheel. I easily shifted hands several times, then with arms straight, I lifted the twirling stick up and over my head. Looking up at it, I was mesmerized by the spinning red wheel above me, the gold boldly marking the rim. Memories of wielding my thermal scythe with expertise and precision had me momentarily missing my gundam once again. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the war is over, but piloting Deathscythe was one of the best things that ever happened in my life. It was a war machine designed for massive destruction, but it also was a place where I felt in control of my life, even when in a battle with overwhelming numbers of enemies coming at me, I was still in some sort of control over what happened to me. Those were intense but brief feelings that seemed opposite of how I felt the majority of the time. Only a few people knew about my mask, those closest to me who had seen it falter, and even they couldn't always tell when it was in place. I decided a long time ago that no one likes a depressed guy hanging around, but as time went on, I found it increasingly hard to be the lively, happy guy everyone had come to expect, hence the cracks in my mask. 

I shook off the brooding thoughts in my head and looked back to Harold and Geoffrey, smiling happily at the sight of their wide eyes fixed on the blur spinning above my head.

Then Harold's eyes lowered and, after a quick look over my shoulder, he nodded his head to indicate something was happening behind me. Acknowledging it, I lowered my arms and with a resounding "thump" I brought the spinning staff to an abrupt stop, the tip resting on the wood floor.

"Now, that's how you handle a scythe," I explained confidently. A smattering of applause came from behind me. Without turning I asked Harold, "Gotta crowd?"

He nodded as I tossed the end of the staff up to place it balancing between both of my hands, presenting it properly to its owner who accepted it with his white gloved hands.

"Yes sir," he said in answer to my question.

"Well," I brought my hand up and scratched the crown of my head, "thanks for letting me hold it. And I wouldn't do any of those moves unless you practice at home first."

"I understand, sir," Harold replied as the corners of his mouth struggled to not smile.

With a nod of farewell, I high-tailed it out of the ballroom and out into the grand entryway of the Palace. 

"Duo!" Damn, I didn't get more than fifty feet when I heard Heero call my name and stopped me mid-stride. I turned around and grinned sheepishly at his frowning face. My momentary happiness faded.

"Dammit Heero, do you ever smile anymore?" I asked, annoyed at his stone face.

"Yes," he answered, still failing to disprove that very question. "When you're not around causing trouble."

Ouch, that hurt.

"Look Heero, what's your problem? I've behaved. I haven't broken anything or offended anyone...too much. I'm just trying to have some fun at this very stodgy party."

"You draw too much attention to yourself, just like in the war," he said, clearly disapproving.

"Can I help it people are bored in there? And I really can't help it that I'm eye candy."

He stepped closer to me, his face unreadable and I tensed, not knowing if he was going to hit me or not. He grabbed hold of my upper arms and held me firmly as he leaned forward, his lips going to my ear. I was expecting a death threat or a severe reprimand, but what I wasn't expecting was Heero's tongue in my ear. I closed my eyes as I felt my eyeballs roll upward as a wave of pleasure coursed through me. He attacked me in one of my weak spots. But then again, Heero knew just about all of my weak spots and always used that knowledge to his advantage.

To anyone else, I'm sure it looked like he was quietly putting me in my place, which, in a different sense, was true. All I can say is that it was a good thing he held me by my arms as my knees weakened from his simple, sensual onslaught. When he finished with me, his teeth gently took hold of my earlobe and tugged on it playfully. "Behave?" he questioned in a teasing voice I doubted very few people had ever heard coming from him. I nodded and he pulled back so he could look into my face.

"I'll behave," I told him, then gave him a knowing, sexy smile. "Well, until later." I was rewarded with a rare smile in return and a twinkle in his eyes that he clearly understood exactly what I intended to happen later.

"Heero?" Relena's voice called out sharply behind the Perfect Soldier, and Heero's smile fell, to be replaced by his former frown.

I felt my own silly grin fade as I finally got the unsaid message that I'd been getting from Heero since my arrival. I was okay to be with, enjoyed and amused by, but only behind a closed door. It was obvious that to Heero, I was a dirty little secret to be kept from Relena or anyone else. We'd argued over this point when we were together during the war, and he'd compromised by letting the other pilots know of our relationship. But now it was clear that nothing had really changed at all, he was ashamed of his relationship with me.

Relena came up and slipped her small, manicured hand under Heero's arm and clutched it possessively. She was frowning at me, and I had to wonder if someone didn't put some kind of face relaxers in the champagne. Frowns seemed to be contagious in the princess's palace, and I could feel my own practiced one slipping.

"He'll behave now," Heero told her as if he'd successfully put a dog on a choking collar and leash in order to keep it obedient. My head was spinning with all the mixed messages I kept getting from him. I really didn't know where I stood or what I wanted anymore.

"Well, I should hope so," Relena replied in a chilling tone while looking at me with disdain written all over her face. At that moment I think I really hated her.

I was saved from any further insults by seeing a tray of desserts being carried into the ballroom along with more trays of champagne. Just what I needed at the moment.

"If you two charming people will excuse me," I moved past them as quickly as possible, "I have a date with the Petite Fours." Me, my braid bouncing happily against my ass, and the little bit of pride I had left promptly walked back into the ballroom...alone.

I sampled wonderful chocolates and tiny cakes from off the several trays that came by me. The confections went perfectly with two glasses of champagne. I was, at that point, decidedly tipsy, but not flat-out drunk. Nope, I'd learned a long time ago that it was a lot more fun to act drunk than to actually be drunk.

I turned on the charm and flirted outrageously with everyone, trying to forget the hurt welling inside me at the realization that my feelings for Heero were completely one sided. I took on the role of a happy drunk, which was always preferable to an unhappy or mean one. 

Wufei followed me like a shadow and it was fun to watch his stunned expression when I threw myself at an elegantly dressed Lady Une and hugged her enthusiastically. He pried me off of her and I was rewarded when she gently touched my face with her hand and smiled at me with warm compassion and a look of concern. "Good to see you too, Duo," she said in a soft, throaty voice. I turned and threw myself into Wufei's arms and hugged him fiercely, deciding at that moment that I'd had enough of the party and that it was time for me to play at sleeping. I let my body slump bonelessly against the Preventer, knowing he'd take care of me if I appeared incapacitated.

"Duo?" he questioned as I lay limp and heavy in his arms. I stayed as still and unresponsive as possible, modulating my breathing rate to match that of a slumberer.

"He's out?" Trowa's voice came from behind me.

"Finally," Wufei answered in obvious relief. Poor Wu, I really wore him out that evening.

"Let's take him out of here," Quatre quietly suggested.

"This way." Ah Heero, now the gang was all there. What a unifier I am. "There's an empty sitting room he can sleep in until I go up. We don't want to make a scene by taking him out right now," he added. Arms lifted me from Wufei's hold. The person carrying me felt and smelled like Trowa.

The sound of four pairs of footsteps echoed off the wood floor and we didn't go far before we stopped in front of a room just off the dance floor. I heard the jangle of keys and of a door opening. I saw through my eyelids the lights turn on and I felt myself gently set down on a soft surface that I judged to be a couch. I instantly turned onto my side away from them and curled up slightly and mumbled something unintelligible to give credence to my act of being asleep. Little did my friends know that I'm an absolute expert at faking sleep; I found that I learned more interesting things this way. For some reason, most people speak openly and freely when they think you are dead-to-the-world drunk.

"Ah Duo," Quatre said my name softly and with affection from nearby and I felt his weight settle next to my back on the edge of the couch. "What are we going to do with you?" Gentle hands reached under my neck and loosened my neck tie then slipped under my jacket to unfasten my cummerbund. Quatre always saw to it that I was comfortable.

"He's left his job on L-2," Wufei reported. "Says he wants to live earthside, maybe go to school. It seems his colony has too many painful memories for him to be comfortable there any longer."

"So he has no place to go from here?" Quatre asked in a worried tone, his hand rested on my shoulder for a moment before I felt him stand.

There was a long, ominous pause, and I had to make sure that I kept breathing slowly and evenly.

"Well he can't come home with me." Leave it to Wufei to get straight to the point. "I work long hours and can't keep an eye on him."

"Maybe he could work at the Preventers," Trowa suggested.

"Che! He's too undisciplined. He'd be an embarrassment to the organization."

Ouch! Remind me to watch out for Wufei's stinging quills.

"Well," Quatre said slowly, his voice already sounding regretful. "He's certainly let us know how uncomfortable he is here, and my home is not much different. I think he'd be unhappy there, plus it's on L-4 and he wants to stay on Earth."

Two down.

"He and Catherine don't get on." Trowa spoke up quietly. "For some reason she took a disliking to him when he found me at the circus when I had amnesia, and I haven't been able to dissuade her from feeling that way towards him."

In the silence that followed, I could only imagine the three sets of eyes turning to Heero, as did my heart.

"Relena wants him out of here as soon as possible," Heero said with no sound of regret or emotion in his damnable monotone voice. 

It took every ounce of strength in me not to curl up and die. As heart wrenching as it felt, I now knew my place in my friends' lives. Despite my stillness and best efforts, a tear slowly escaped the corner of my eye and trickled down the side of my face to drop onto the material of the couch.

"Let's talk with him in the morning and see if we can give him some direction," Quatre said sadly.

Just leave, I wished with all my heart. I didn't know if I could hold my hurt in much longer.

I felt hands on me when Heero spoke up. "No, leave him here. It will just make a scene to carry him up that stairs past Relena's guests. He sleeps like the dead when he's drunk. I'll come get him in the morning."

The others must have agreed with a nod of their heads because all I heard was the sound of footsteps shuffling to the door, though I knew someone had lingered as a hand touched my hair and gently stroked it. I imagined such a touch could only come from Quatre, always the gentle, sentimental one.

Goodbye guys, I said to myself as the light went out and the door closed with a click that had a sound of finality to it.

I waited a moment to make sure I was truly alone, then curled up and as quietly as possible, cried my heart out. Even as I let go from holding in all the hurt I felt, I was ashamed of myself for doing so. Here I was a veteran of poverty, the streets of L-2, and of two wars, and I was bawling like a baby because my friends and former lovers didn't care for me enough to see what I really wanted; what it was that I really needed.

I don't know how long I lay there and wallowed in my self-pity, I just knew that I had wrung my heart out and that I couldn't face the guys in the morning. I noticed about that time that the music in the ballroom had stopped and realized the ball was over. I had no other concept of time, only that I was cold and alone, like so many other times in my damn life. I sniffed back more than tears and regretted not having a tissue or handkerchief in my pocket. I used the next best thing available, the eye-matching cummerbund

Well into the process of blowing my nose with that accessory to my fancy tux, the door suddenly opened and a female voice called out. "Just a minute, I think this is where I left my wrap." The lights were turned on and I heard a feminine gasp as I was spotted.

"Duo?" It was Lucretia Noin. She had caught me unaware, looking like a deer caught in the headlight of an oncoming truck, and in the middle of using my cummerbund to blow my nose. Embarrassed, I turned my red-rimmed eyes away from her shocked but penetrating gaze.

"Go away," I said unhappily. Great, all I needed was a witness to my misery. The only thing worse would be if she...

"Zechs," she called out softly behind her. There it was, the next worse thing, another witness and a male to boot. Boys aren't supposed to cry. Well, that's what I always said, but once again I failed to follow my own motto. And there were times when that saying should hold true, especially in there's another male around.

The door shut and I felt the looming presence of the two taller adults. "What's wrong Duo?" The deep male voice that could only belong to Zechs asked.

"Everything and nothing," I replied cryptically. "So just go away."

"Did the others leave you here?" Noin asked and I felt a weight settle on the edge of the couch next to me.

"Please...just go," I whispered, my desperation to hold in my emotions was pretty clear as I spoke with a shaky voice.

"We're not going to do that, Duo," Noin said in a voice as soft and compassionate as Sister Helen's used to be. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

Needing someone and something to anchor myself to at that moment of weakness, I raised myself up and literally flung myself into her open arms. I blush now to think of how I silently cried against her, like a little orphaned boy who had been beaten up one to many times because of his long hair and flippant attitude.

Zechs moved to sit behind me and gently rubbed my back. "Tell us Duo. Maybe we can help," he said in a gentle tone.

That was all I needed, their compassion and willingness, the champagne, along with the hurt and the disappointment I'd been delivered and somehow, it all combined to loosen up my stubborn pride and my tongue...and I blurted it all out. Still holding onto Noin, I told them of leaving L-2, how I hated the memories of my childhood the place brought back. I told them of my past and present relationships with Heero and Quatre, how I'd come to Earth hoping to find a home with one of my friends and then spoke of my hurt and anguish in reaction to the words of rejection spoken by my friends when they believed I was asleep.

Noin held me tightly, and several times during my nearly incoherent babbling I felt her lips kiss the top of my head, as if my hurt and pain somehow affected her.

"I'm sorry," I sniffed, coming back to myself feeling thoroughly embarrassed and horrified at my emotional outburst. I pushed myself out of her arms and flopped against the back of the couch, rubbing at my eyes. I reached blindly for the cummerbund, needing to use it again. "Please, don't tell anyone I fell apart like that," I asked them.

"It's alright, Duo," Zechs replied. "You've had enough disappointment during your life to merit a deluge of tears."

When he saw the direction the blue-violet tuxedo accessory was headed, the blond man grabbed hold of my hand and placed a fine linen handkerchief into it. I smiled gratefully and used it.

"So where will you go?" Noin asked. She and Zechs were sitting on the edge of the couch, each on either side and turned towards me so that I could see the both of them when I looked up.

I shrugged. "I dunno," I replied. "But I'll be gone before Heero comes for me in the morning. Don't want to be any more of an embarrassment to him." The tone of my voice was sad and bitter.

I looked up at the two of them, marveling at the striking couple they made, both of them were tall, trim and commanding. The light and dark hair contrasted remarkably. Then I realized they were somehow communicating something over my head.

Noin looked at Zechs with a question in her eyes. The tall blond nodded and smiled. She returned it then they both looked at me expectantly.

"Duo." Zechs took the lead. "Would you consider coming home with us?"

Now that was unexpected. "Why?" I asked, suspicious and puzzled at their invitation and naturally feeling skeptical.

Noin reached out and touch my damp face. "Because you're lost, just as we have all been. We're building a home," she continued and looked up to her fiancé with a smile. "You got our wedding invitation, right?"

I nodded, then felt guilty as I hadn't R.S.V.P'd it.

"We're to be married next week," she reminded me.

"Then I'm the last person you want hanging around your home," I warned them.

"Did you know we're adopting Mariemaia?" Zechs asked.

I shook my head.

"She's lost too, and lives with a lot of guilt from her actions in the last war. We'll be taking her with us in six weeks when we return to Mars to work on the terra forming project."

I nodded my head, not sure how to respond to their news when the next question asked left me dumbstruck.

"Would you consider coming to our home to live with us Duo?" Noin asked. "If we get on well enough in the next few weeks, we'd be pleased to have you come to Mars with us."

My eyes widened, from surprise or shock I'm not really sure. "What are you saying?" I asked, wondering if I was on my ass drunk after all and didn't know it.

Noin smiled at me, she really is very beautiful. "We're offering you a home and a family Duo, such as we are." I could see by her eyes that she meant what she was saying.

Zechs then took up the next part of the conversation. "It will also give you time away from the other pilots to grow and mature. I suspect all of you need time to do that and readjust to life beyond the war, just like we've had to." His eyes strayed to his fiancé and from the look in them, I could easily see just how much in love they were and felt a twinge of jealousy pull at my heart.

I sat back against the couch feeling overwhelmed. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, that I was being offered all that I ever wanted: a home, a family, and people who seemed to care enough for me to offer me a place in their lives.

"Are...are you sure?" I asked, my voice unsteady with the fear that they would take it back. "I'm a bit of a handful." I felt the need to warn them, after all, believing that if I could cause my closest friends to turn away from me, who would really in their right minds want me? Not to mention the fact that, at one time, the couple sitting by my side had been my enemies during the first war.

Both Zechs and Noin laughed easily at my statement about myself. "So are we." Zechs chuckled in his deep voice. Then he slowly sobered and looked me in the eye. "Listen Duo," he began in a more earnest tone. "It won't be easy as you've been very independent all your life, but we're willing to try. I'll teach you all about fitting into this society and how to comport yourself in public. If you're willing to try to meet us half way, we'll be more than satisfied."

I thought about it for a moment, still not quite believing they were willing to give me not only a chance, but a family, a roof over my head with the promise of food and shelter. The insecurities of my childhood on the streets of L-2 haunted me every day with the fear of not having those basic necessities of life. I asked myself what was there to lose? I had no where to go and I desperately didn't want to be alone any longer. In those terms, I came to a quick decision. "I'm willing to give it a try." But even as I said those words, a dark cloud hung over my immediately future. "But on one condition." 

Both of them looked at me a bit wary, but Noin nodded to go ahead with my stipulation. "I don't want the other pilots to learn anything about this."

I could see the questions in their eyes as to my reasoning, but they both withheld them. Maybe they saw the hurt in my eyes that from when the others had rejected me or sensed I wasn't ready to face them. I just knew my pride wouldn't let me see them again until I was stronger and didn't need them any more. Whether Zechs and Noin understood or not, they both exchanged a glance of silent understanding.

"Alright." Zechs spoke for both of them.

With a trembling, watery-eyes smile, I looked at the two people who were offering me the future I'd craved since I first became aware of my hungry, needy circumstances on L-2, my earliest memories. Funny, I had looked to my closest friends to fill the emptiness inside me and here were these two, near strangers, volunteering to fill that dark hole in my heart. I sniffed back more of the traitorous tears that threatened to embarrass me again. "Well, okay then," I said, surprised at how young and vaunerable I sounded, the needy child in me had resurface, and putting out a hand to each of them I asked, "Can you take me home now?"

So that's it in a nut shell, and as I close this journal, having jumped with both feet into the second chance being given to me, one that was so unforeseen, I know this is the last time I'll write in it as Duo Maxwell. I'm going to work at putting behind me the boy of poverty, who scavenged the streets of L-2 for food and shelter among the wretched poor of that colony. I'm putting behind me the soul shattered, only survivor of the Maxwell Church Orphanage massacre. I'm leaving behind the teenage warrior who suffered for the colonies for two wars. And I'm leaving behind the old me, along with the name of Duo Maxwell and the four friends who were my family. Yet even as I say I'm putting it all behind me as I journey to Mars, I know I'll never really forget any of it, because you see, I am a result of all that has ever happened to me, good and bad. I just hope to take the better part of me and become the best person that Zechs and Noin can help me become. Then, when I return, it will be on my own terms.

Signed, 

Duo Maxwell 

TBC


	4. part 4

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Disclaimers and warnings on first page of fic

Part 4

One week following the gala celebrating the end of the war, Milliardo Peacecraft stood at the front window of the Sanq Palace and felt he was the happiest man on Earth. The day had been perfect, just as he and Lucretia had hoped. The sun shone brightly in the early spring sky, more than hinting at a warm and fruitful springtime as the trees and flowers were budding with an eagerness to bloom under such favorable weather.

Thinking back on the events of that day, he clearly remembered the sparkling white cathedral, finished being rebuilt only three weeks previous, with colorful beams of light filtering into the massive room through the stain glass windows depicting various scenes of the life of Christ, lending an air of sacredness that both of them felt mirrored their vows, given to each other with all soberness before the priest and the large congregation.

The guests had arrived at the appropriate hour, dressed in their finest clothing and wearing suitable expressions of happiness for the couple they'd come to celebrate. The invited crowd of five hundred had all stood to gaze with expectation at the back of the cathedral as the first notes of the wedding processional was struck up by the chamber musicians. The tall, beautiful bride dressed in a long, elegant and sleek white wedding gown, a demi-veil covering only her face only to her chin, was escorted down the red carpet by her father to the altar where her future husband stood, his eyes fixed adoringly on his future.

Milliardo had watched the love of his life approach the front alter. He stood tall and handsome looking in his light grey, formal morning suit, his long blond hair was held back by a single black velvet tie in a ponytail. Love and pride swelled in his chest at his soon-to-be bride's elegance and beauty as she came to stand next to him, giving him a watery smile as well as her hand.

Next to him stood Heero Yuy and at his shoulder was Chang Wufei, his best men and escorts to the bride's maids, Relena and Lady Une. 

He sighed in his reflection; the ceremony had gone off without a hitch. The music was beautiful, the Priest's message was short and to the point, and as they exchanged their vows, they held each others' hands and pledged their love and life to each other.

The reception that followed was also a success. Relena had insisted it be at the palace and the afternoon affair was beautifully pulled off as a day to remember by her wonderfully adept staff. Chamber musicians played romantic ballads while he held his new wife in his arms as they waltzed across the ballroom floor. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness and he believed that she, of all people, deserved it. This large wedding had originally been Relena's suggestion. Reluctant at first, Noin had been easily won over and he could not refuse her a day that would mark the beginning of their lives together. They had both been through so much during the wars and this was their reward, the beginning of their happily ever after. 

"Zechs." He turned from his happy musings to see Heero had silently approached him from just behind his right shoulder.

"Enjoying yourself, Heero?" he asked politely as the Japanese teen stopped next to him. The former Wing Zero pilot was a hard person to read. He supposed it was either Heero's training that made him that way or a natural shyness that kept others from knowing how he truly felt.

"Yes," the Japanese boy replied, his eyes scanning the room filled with guest waiting for the bride to ascend the staircase, looking for something or someone amongst the crowd of people. "Where's Mariemaia?" he asked

"Home." Zechs couldn't help but smile as he thought of his soon to be daughter. "It's too soon for her to be in public," he added. Indeed, after being used as a puppet by Deikum Barton, the little girl, known in the tabloids as the nefarious spawn of Treize Kushrenada, had been in seclusion since recovering from the bullet wound received from that crazed megalomaniac, a bullet that had been intended for Relena. Both he and Noin felt that the young girl's absence from the public eye for several years would allow the people to forget the precocious little red headed girl and, when they returned from the Mars Colony, she would have a second chance with a new name and a new start at life on Earth.

"Did you invite Duo?"

Zechs blinked, well that question came out of nowhere, he thought. "Of course I did." He made sure his reply was casual, giving no hint at all that he knew something Heero didn't. "But he didn't RSVP."

"Duo doesn't usually miss things like this," Heero said quietly, his eyes still searching the crowd, and now the tall blond man knew why.

"Are you worried?" Studying the dark haired teen's face, Zechs looked for a clue to the stoic boy's thoughts. "I heard he disappeared after the ball. Has no one heard from him?"

Heero shook his head, and the blond man could see by the slight crease between his eyebrows that the Japanese boy was indeed worried.

"We left Duo that night in a sitting room to sleep off the champagne. I went to wake him before breakfast and found him gone. I just thought he'd probably gotten up and we'd missed each other in passing, so I went to breakfast with the others and didn't think anything about it until I went back to my room just before noon." Heero looked Zechs in the eye at this point. "He was gone and so were his things. All he left behind was the tuxedo he wore the night before, minus the cummerbund." A faint smile flit across the normally placid face. "I can't imaging how the baka could misplace a cummerbund. I looked for it everywhere and it's just gone."

"No note or anything?" Zechs asked politely. "He left without a word to any of you, even Quatre?"

Heero frowned at the insinuation that Duo would have taken his leave of Quatre while not doing so with him. He consoled himself knowing no one but the other pilots knew of his former relationship with the long haired teen. "He did leave us a note tucked in the pocket of the suit jacket he left on my bed."

"May I ask what it said?"

Heero unbuttoned his dark grey jacket and put his hand into the inner pocket. Zechs watched as he carefully pulled out his wallet and opened it. From inside one of the folds he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. Carefully unfolding it, handling it as if it was something of great worth, he handed it to the tall blond.

Zechs' eyes moved over the haphazardly printed script as he made a show of reading the message Duo had given him to deliver the morning after they'd taken him home with them.

  
  


Hey guys, 

Guess this time the last laugh is on me. Thought you should know that I wasn't passed out drunk when you were talking about me last night, though now I wish I had been.

Sorry to be such an embarrassment and disappointment to all of you. Didn't mean to be, but I guess someone with a background like mine just wasn't meant to have friends like you. Guess I can kind of understand why there's no place in your lives for me. Hell, I'm just a guy you fought in the war with, who wants me hanging around now that you've got your lives together?

So I'll take care of the problem, being me. I'm going away so you won't have to worry about me making a scene anymore or messing up your lives. Don't worry, I'm not really mad, just hurt as hell. Try to take care of each other.

Duo

  
  


He'd basically known what the note said as Duo had handed it to him the early next morning, eyes dry but red, obviously from a long, sleepless night. He'd then taken the note and the formal tux back to the palace and, while the others were at breakfast, he'd gone into Heero's room and collected the braided boy's things as he had described them and left the tux and note on the large, neatly made bed.

With a sigh and shake of his head he handed the piece of paper back to Heero who carefully re-folded it and neatly placed it back inside his wallet.

"Must be a relief to you and the others then." Zechs just couldn't help rubbing it in, knowing the heartache Duo was going through.

Heero's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

A blond eyebrow rose in question. "Well, it's obvious that you spoke badly about him while he lay there listening. And I observed how you four treated him at the Palace that day, Quatre was the only one truly showing Duo any outward signs of friendship or affection." He studied the unhappy looking young man standing in front of him before continuing, gauging the former gundam pilot's reactions. "Personally, I think Duo's very wise to remove himself from your company. It seems he chooses to not obligate you further to suffer his presence."

"Suffer his presence!" Heero's voice rose with barely muted indignation.

Zechs inwardly smiled at it. "Isn't that what you were doing at the celebration? How much time did you spend talking to him to find out how he was doing, what his plans were?"

"I was on duty." The dark haired boy stiffly justified himself. "Relena had the security cameras taken down and the security lessened so her guests wouldn't feel like they were being watched," he explained. "I had to be alert the entire time to insure her safety with all the guests she had invited, some who had formerly been her antagonists. I asked Wufei to watch after Duo because he tends to find creative ways to entertain himself and it usually gets him into trouble."

"Ah yes, I remember. Wufei did his job quite well that day, didn't he? Funny, I hadn't realized Preventers performed babysitting duties." At the sound of a slight commotion behind them, the blond looked away and saw his wife coming down the stairs, looking stunning in an egg-shell white pant suit for traveling. "How many of the other guests were assigned their own private shadow, Heero?" he asked as a parting shot to Heero, giving him something to think about as he went to meet his bride.

The many guests remaining were gathering outside the front door to throw rice and well wishes to the couple as they began their honeymoon, reported to take place on a tropical island located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The newlyweds kissed briefly as they met and turned with happiness lit on their faces to a gauntlet of well wishers with their own smiles and cheers for the new couple as they left for their honeymoon. Little did anyone know that their honeymoon would also consist of two very special guests joining them for a tropical adventure.

The newly wedded couple didn't see Heero or Relena again until two days before their departure for Mars. Relena insisted on giving them a party, but seeing as they'd just celebrated a ball and a wedding, they talked her into a small, private dinner.

That evening, Heero seemed more withdrawn than usual as the dinner progressed. Relena frowned frequently in disapproval at his mental withdrawal from the occasion and the other guests.

Toasts were given to the couple's happiness and then to their success as they journeyed to Mars, a trip that would keep them from Earth for at least three years.

As coffee and dessert was being served, Milliardo Peacecraft stood with his long stem glass in hand and saluted his sister and friends, thanking them for coming to wish them well, then wished them the same in return. He paused with a smile growing on his obviously happy face. "I have another happy announcement to make," he told them, and the room had the faint sound of excited whispering as the women in the room looked to Noin with anticipation. "Everyone here is aware that we adopted Mariemaia the day after our wedding," he began, "and I'm happy to announce that we have added a son to our growing family.

The room silenced, that wasn't exactly what the other guests were expecting. 

"We came upon an orphaned boy one night, all alone in the world and desperately needing a home and family to love him." He looked with obvious love in his eyes to his wife. "Lu and I have enough love to share and decided make him our son. The adoption papers have been rushed through and we'll be signing them tomorrow. He and May will both go to Mars with us."

A barrage of questions assailed him, but he stopped them all by putting his hands up. "His name he will take on tomorrow will be Maximilian Peacecraft, after my great grandfather. I'm afraid you won't be able to meet him before we leave so he'll have to wait for his proper introduction to society when we return." He reached down to take up his wife's hand. "We thank you for your well wishes and wish you health and safety until we meet again."

The celebrated husband and wife left shortly after that, excited about their life together and the changes occurring within it.

Heero and Relena stood side by side as they watched the two leave the palace. She sighed longingly. "Do you think we'll ever be that happy?" she asked in a dreamy fashion.

"I don't think I deserve such happiness," Heero replied in a flat tone.

Relena turned on him. "Of course you do, Heero. We all deserve to be happy. What's the matter with you anyway? You've been sulking around ever since the wedding, what is your problem?" she demanded, being fed up with his moodiness.

He paused a moment before he spoke up, his voice soft and pained. "It's Duo," he confessed while staring at the fading red taillights of the car pulling away from the palace grounds and suddenly, he realized he felt a bit better for having stated his worry out loud.

"Duo?" She spat out his name with distaste, her face screwed up as if she'd eaten a sour lemon. "Why in the world would that low-life boy have you upset? Did he die or something?"

She gasped out loud at Heero's sudden movement. Never had she been more shocked as when Heero grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Don't ever talk about him like that. You don't know him or anything about him," he growled out with more emotion than Relena had ever seen from him before. "He has endured more and suffered more than anyone I've ever met. No one could have come through what he did in his childhood and survived to be the decent human being he is." The boy she had been infatuated with for several years suddenly let go of her and turned back to look out the window into the night.

"I'm sorry, Heero." She immediately began to re-evaluate the situation, realizing Heero was truly upset and that she had spoken very poorly of someone who obviously meant a lot to the Japanese young man. "I think I misinterpreted your feelings for him. You always appeared edgy and, well...unhappy when he was around. It just seemed as if you tolerated him because he was a fellow pilot. Was I wrong?"

"Yes and No," he replied, turning away from her, upset at having reacted so strongly and at Relena's hastily spoken words, knowing she was right about his behavior. He frowned as he wondered if Duo had interpreted his actions the same way.

Braving a few steps forward, the blonde haired girl placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Go on Heero, you can talk to me," she said gently, urging him to open up and express whatever it was that bothering him. 

Heero blew out an exasperated puff of air, then nodded. "I've made a lot of mistakes and treated him badly," he confessed, looking at the floor. "I tried to distance myself from him because of the emotions and confusion I feel when I'm around him."

Relena's eyes widened at the admission. Heero rarely admitted to having emotions. She was well aware that Heero and Duo had almost opposite personalities, so she could understand the stoic boy not understanding the outgoing and active teen Duo seemed to be. Curiosity pushed her to ask, "Such as..."

"Jealousy, for one." Heero supplied.

"Jealousy?" Relena asked confused. "Why would you be jealous of Duo Maxwell?"

The Japanese boy shook his head. "Not of Duo, Relena. I was jealous of anyone or anything that took him and his attention from me." He bowed his head and spoke barely above a whisper. "You see, he was my..." Heero paused, considering for a moment just what it was that Duo had been to him. Was he a friend or a boyfriend? Definitely both. A lover? Absolutely. But he'd been so much more to him during the war: a confidant, a glimmer of hope, comic and stress relief, a nurse, a brother and a sympathizer as well as an tease and flirt. Yes, Duo had been all those things and more, but he wondered to himself what was the best word to describe him to Relena? He looked up into her eyes seeing the look of expectation in them. Returning his focus to the darkness through the window he continued. "He was my lover during the first war," he admitted out loud for the first time to someone other than the other pilots. He didn't look at the girl he was sure would be shocked by his admission, but continued on, feeling the need to finish what he'd started.

"I was drawn to him and he to me from the first moment we met, when I was trying to kill you by the docks. It was a couple of weeks after that, at that school you tracked us down to, that I took him as mine." His tone of voice was wistful as his mind went back to those wild weeks of him pinning Duo down onto his bed, keeping him beneath him with their mouths and bodies straining against each other to express their pent up desires for the other.

Still not looking at the girl standing mutely next to him, he continued. "But after I self destructed, Duo thought I was dead and shortly after that, he and Quatre became lovers."

He now chanced a look at the usually self-possessed girl and saw her eyes wide with shock and surprise at his revelations. "Evidently he and Quatre came to care for each other, though each confessed to loving someone else. Quatre wanted Trowa, and Duo longed for me. I felt unexpected jealousy when I learned of it, and anger towards Quatre, even though I know they both thought at the time that I was dead."

Relena's eyes were wide with shock and confusion. "So...you're telling me you're gay?" she asked in a tight voice.

"More likely bi," he answered with a shrug. "Duo's the only guy I've ever been attracted to."

The Vice Foreign Minister looked like she'd been hit blind sided and gently rubbed her temples with the tip of her fingers. "This is all a bit much to take in," she told him. 

Heero nodded his understanding, then continued, finding himself liking the experience of being able to talk to someone about Duo and their mixed-up relationship.

"The war always took precedence in our lives," he continued, "and we rarely got to spend any time together, just stolen moments in between battles. When we did meet up again, one of us was usually too injured for us to enjoy our time together. The end result was that we slowly drifted apart."

This time when he looked up to Relena, he saw that some of the shock had worn off. She, in turn, could see the pain in Heero's eyes and the great sense of loss that he felt. "I love him, Relena," Heero said quietly. "I always have, but didn't tell him, not in words. I didn't think that during the war it was appropriate so I tried to keep my emotions in check. You see, Duo had lost everyone one he'd ever loved before the war, and there was a good chance he could lose me too. I just didn't want him to go through the pain if that happened. Though I tried every way I could think of not to hurt him, I think in the long run that I managed to do just that." He looked up at the girl he'd been hired to protect and was coming to know as a friend to see her studying him, trying desperately to understand. 

"But now I know it was a mistake in trying to keep my distance emotionally from him in order to protect him and keep my focus on the war and missions. I secretly held to the thought that, when the war was over and if we both survived, then we could finally be together, I could tell him how I felt." He lowered his head, shaking it slowly with self recriminations. "Then after the war we drifted apart, trying to find some peace within ourselves. We kept in touch and took turns visiting, but long distance relationships are hard to maintain." He paused a moment, sighed, then continued. "When you were kidnaped by Barton, Duo and I had just gotten together for the holidays. I was going to ask him on New Years Eve to stay with me, or let me stay with him. I didn't want to be separated any longer. I was afraid someone else would catch his eye and I would lose him."

"So am I inadvertently responsible for you two not...um..being together?" Relena asked with a frown.

Heero shook his head, still not looking at her. "No, ultimately, it was my fault. He went with me as my partner when we infiltrated the colony they were going to drop on Earth. I left there without him. Initially, I had thought he would be safe if I left him in Trowa's care, and so I used him as a decoy, knocking him unconscious in order to escape the soldiers that were breaking into the control room so I could to meet up with Wing Zero."

Heero's face took on a pained expression as he continued. "After I regained consciousness in the hospital a week after the last battle, I found out from Quatre that Duo was gone back to L-2 and hadn't even been to see me. I knew then that he was angry with me, feeling hurt and most likely felt that I'd betrayed him. But instead of going to him, I kept my distance once again, thinking that, in biding my time, we'd both grow up, he'd get over being mad at me, and eventually we'd end up together. 

When he accepted the invitation to the ball, I arranged for him to share my room and was going to finish my duties that day and then tell him the next morning how I felt, and apologize for leaving him behind in the war. I didn't realize at the time that, when he came to the celebration, he came looking for a home, and because my duties took precedence that day, I wasn't particularly open with or available to him. Wufei said Duo had come to Earth having no place to go and I suddenly realized I had nothing to offer him. I lived here, in your home, as part of my job and you didn't want him here. I couldn't offer him a place to stay." Tortured eyes lifted to meet hers. "And now, before I had the chance to make things right with him, he's gone."

Relena felt somewhat shocked and surprised at how talkative Heero was while speaking of Duo Maxwell. She'd never heard so many words come out of his mouth at one time. It very telling of his true feelings for the other boy. Compassion filled the young woman at the obvious pain her friend was experiencing. "I'm sure he'll show up soon," she said in a consoling manner, her hand coming to rest on his forearm in a gesture of comfort. "Then you can tell him how you feel and see if you can...ah...be happy together."

"Duo never lies," Heero replied sadly as his hand gazed down at the girls slender hand on his suit jacket. "When he says he's leaving, he means it. He has the wherewithal to disappear completely, making it nearly impossible for anyone to find him."

"But he didn't count on all the resources we have, Heero," she said with a slight smile. "Quatre is sure to join the search, and Wufei has the Preventers at his disposal. And don't forget you and I, Heero. Somehow, we'll find him."

The former Wing Pilot tried to hold onto that promise as days of searching for a clue to his former lover's whereabouts lengthened into weeks, then months and slowly into one year, then two.

The only evidence they found of Duo was his hastily planned trip to the Peace Celebration. From there, all leads died. Howard hadn't heard from Duo since before that time, neither had Hilde or any of the American's former associates.

Wufei was able to uncover several bank accounts of Duo's, each of which held a considerable amount of money, most likely pilfered from Oz and the Alliance during the war, something they all did, with the exception of Quatre who didn't need to. The accounts, however, remained untouched. Through the means available to him, namely the Preventers, Wufei put a red flag on the accounts. If there was a withdrawal or deposit, he would be notified immediately and the location of the transaction would reveal Duo's whereabouts. He checked monthly to make sure the unresponsive system was in proper working order, but was disappointed time and again when not one bank transaction was made.

Individually and collectively, those looking for the missing teen began to worry if he was alive. It was nearing the one year mark when one by one, the pilots began to turn their attention away from the search for Duo to focus more on their own lives. Relena turned her attention back to her job, Wufei was deep into Preventer investigations, and Trowa and Quatre announced their plans to become legal and binding partners in life.

Heero took a leave from his job in order to travel to L-2, certain that Duo would sooner or later return to the ruins of Maxwell Church. Three months later he returned, more quiet and withdrawn than he'd been since the war. Relena could see he was giving up hope, and though knowing better and with some guilt, she hoped he would turn to her for comfort and maybe something more. And even though he only turned to her in friendship, she couldn't bear to see him unhappy and tried to buoy him up with reassurances that Duo would be found. The ceremony binding Quatre and Trowa as a couple did nothing to brighten Heero's disposition.

Eighteen months after her brother and sister-in-law had left for Mars, Relena sat in her office with a fresh cup of tea before her and was sharing her latest quarterly letter from her brother and Noin with her best friend when a call came through to her office. It was Lady Une and she asked to speak to Heero. With a slight look of puzzlement, he accepted the phone from her and put it to his ear.

"Yes," he said.

Relena put her own letter down and watched his face as it became animated with a look of surprise on it and she wondered what would bring such a reaction to the stoic bodyguard.

"I'll be right there," he replied into the mouthpiece. "And...thank you," he added, then hung up the phone. His blue eyes raised to meet the ones looking up at him with curiosity.

"I'...I need to go out for a while," he told her looking unsettled.

"Heero." Relena instinctively reached out to her friend. "What is it?"

"Une said she had some word on Duo," he answered. "She wants me to come to her office."

Relena gasped in surprise, they'd all just about given up hope the former Deathscythe pilot was alive. "He's alive Heero, I just know he is!" She gave him a watery smile.

Heero nodded hesitantly, as if he was afraid to hope that Duo had been found alive and well.

She folded her chatty letter, slipped it back into the envelope it had come in, and set it down on her desk, then rose from her chair and went to her friend and took up his hand. "Let's go." She was rewarded with a slight smile of gratitude. The hero of the world needed her at the moment to stand by him, to give him hope and a hand to hold. If nothing else, she knew he would let her be that for him.

Half an hour later she was still holding his hand as they stood anxiously in Une's office at Preventer Headquarters. Wufei stood straight backed and dressed in his work uniform next to her desk with a frown on his face. He, too, had obviously been called to hear the news about Duo, and he never did like waiting.

The head of the Preventers stood from her chair and handed Heero the plain white envelope with the words LADY UNE printed clearly in Duo's distinctive scrawl.

With a determined effort to keep his breathing even and mentally willing his right hand, reaching out for the envelope, to not shake, Heero gave the appearance of casually accepting it, flipping it over, and lifting the flap. His thumb and index finger took hold of the folded paper inside and pulled it out.

With a quick glance up, catching Wufei's eyes, he carefully unfolded the paper and his eyes devoured the few words printed there.

  
  


I'm alive and I'm fine, and I'll come back when I'm damn well ready. So quit worrying!

Duo

  
  


"Well?" Wufei asked impatiently, waiting for Heero to share what was written on the piece of paper.

Reluctantly, Heero passed it to his friend. "Don't damage it," he warned in handing it over.

The Chinese Preventer gave his former comrade an odd look, then turned his attention to the letter.

"He's alive, Heero." Relena whispered, her voice filled with hope.

The dark haired young man nodded.

"Che, the idiot!" Wufei snorted. "What game is he playing now?" he asked as he handed the letter back to the Japanese teen.

"Talk like that is what sent him away from us Wufei." Heero snapped angrily as he carefully refolded the note and put it back into the envelope. "I'd suggest you adjust your attitude for when he does come back."

Again, Wufei gave Heero a look of puzzlement. "Don't you mean if he comes back?" he questioned, putting emphasis on the "if".

Heero's glare at Wufei clearly indicated he meant "when". He turned and softened his face slightly as he looked to Lady Une. "May I keep this?" he indicated the envelope.

"Of course. This isn't a criminal matter, and if you can identify his handwriting, he'll be off the missing person's list."

"It's his," Heero declared looking down at the envelope in hand. "He's always had a distinctive style of writing, just like everything else about him."

The two women in the room gave each other a knowing smile. Relena had shared Heero's confession in regards to his feelings for Duo with the head of the Preventers, explaining why it was urgent to find the elusive young man. Une had proved to be a good friend and confidant to the sometimes confused young woman in matters of friendship and of the heart.

Wufei, on the other hand, looked at them all as if he didn't know who they were. He knew the former Wing Zero pilot and Duo had a relationship during the first war, but they seemed to come to their senses and ended it and moved on, or at least he thought they had. Yet now, he was confused by Heero's unusual sentiment towards the short note from their friend, and perplexed as to why Relena and Une looked...pleased. Not understanding what was going on made him uncomfortable, so he excused himself and was the first to leave the room.

Later that evening, in the privacy of his room, Heero studied each letter and word written on the notepaper, drawing a small measure of comfort and a shred of hope from it that Duo was not only well, but that he would come back to him one day and give him a second chance to make things right.

Another year passed without any further word. Each of the other four pilots went on with their lives believing Duo was well and would come back like he said, when he was ready.

Excitement rippled through the Sanq Palace as preparations for the party celebrating the return of Milliardo and Lucretia Peacecraft back to Earth drew near. Relena bubbled with excitement. The quarterly letters that had arrived from Mars and those that were sent back left big gaps in the lives of the two Peacecraft siblings who were still practically strangers but were bound by the same name and knowledge of their history.

A phone call informed them that the Peacecraft family of four would land at the spaceport in the United States, just outside of Las Vegas, in two weeks time. Milliardo had requested that no one meet them as they wanted to immediately disembark from that terminal on a plane bound for the Caribbean. He and Lucretia wanted a few days to acclimate their family back to living planetside before arriving in Sanq to be greeted by well wishers. He confessed to his sister that they were all a ghastly colony-white from living in a domed environment for nearly three years and needed a little color so they wouldn't look like the living dead. He assured her that they would definitely arrive in Sanq in time to attend the party she'd planned and they were anxious to introduce their son and daughter to their many acquaintances.

Three years, Relena sighed at the thought two weeks later as she sat at her desk in her bedroom. She recalled all the anxiety and heartache she'd witnessed over those three years. They had truly been the longest three years of her life, and she was looking forward to having her brother and good friend, who was his wife, back home again. Funny, she narrowed her eyes in thought, she knew so little about her adopted niece and nephew. Lucretia had written that they were both breathtakingly beautiful, full of life and highly intelligent. She also recalled how her friend had gushed in her letters over her new children, but she never really revealed much about them. Of course she knew Mariemaia, now going by the name May. She could only imagine how much the little redhead had grown and matured from a cute, precocious child who had been used as a puppet to take over the world because she happened to have the last name of Kushrenada. It was obvious her brother and his wife were fiercely protective of the girl and would slowly ease her back into polite society. Their son, Maximilian, but going by the name of Max, was reportedly raised in unfavorable circumstances, but Noin gushed with pride over his intellect and wit. She spoke with awe in regards to his kind heart and protectiveness over his sister. Such words from Lucretia came as rare praise indeed, and Relena became even more excited for her family to return so she could become acquainted with the two children.

The phone on her desk rang, bringing the young woman out of her reverie. With a quick glance at the clock, a knowing smile graced her pretty face. She picked up the receiver and her smile broadened. On the other end of the line she heard the long missed but recognizable voice of her brother. Her family had arrived safely back on Earth and would be in Sanq within the week.

TBC


	5. part 5

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 5

Warnings and disclaimer on first page of this story

Relena nervously worried the handkerchief in her hand. Where were they? she wondered as she chewed on her lower lip.

"They'll be here soon," Heero calmly assured her as he observed her anxiousness.

"Almost everyone else is here. It's not like Milliardo to be late."

"Things change," was Heero's dry response.

Relena rolled her eyes upward, praying for patience. Suddenly, she gasped slightly and her eyes widened. "Is that him, Heero?" she asked standing on her tip toes to see above the numerous heads blocking her view of the doorway. "There aren't many who have that shade of hair color."

"It's him." Her ever-present companion confirmed with a small smile.

Relena all but ran across the distance to greet her only living blood relative. As her brother caught sight of her rushing forward towards them, his face lit up with a brilliant smile and he opened his arms to her.

Pushing aside any proper decorum, Relena flung herself into the tall blond man's arms. "It's so good to have you back again. I've missed you both so much," she whispered emotionally into his strong shoulder as she saw her friend and sister in marriage smile at her from over her brother's shoulder. A moment later she was hugging Lucretia also. As she pulled back, she smiled warmly at both of them. "When did you get back?" she asked taking in Milliardo's tall, well shaped form dressed in an dark grey Italian silk suit, his long hair tied back into a pony tail.

"Late this morning," Lucretia answered. "I'm afraid we over slept our naps."

Relena realized she had missed something and looked to both sides of the couple. "Where are your children?" she asked.

Milliardo smirked and chuckled. "They're coming," he assured her. "May was fussing about her dress and make up and her brother graciously offered to come with her after she finished making herself beautiful.

"Well, I can't wait to see May and meet Maximilian. It seems odd I've had a nephew for three years and I don't know him at all," Relena said.

Lucretia chuckled. "When you meet Maximilian, you'll feel as if you've known him for years." The dark haired woman's eyes met her husband's and they both looked like they were sharing an inside joke.

Heero joined them and took a step forward, his hand extended. "Welcome home," he said as Zechs took his hand.

"Good to see you, Heero. How have you been?" Zechs asked.

Heero paused to think about his answer, then replied. "I've been alright, and you?"

Zechs returned a polite answer that he was wonderful. Heero then turned to give a greeting to Noin before Relena steered them all to the buffet table where friends, business, and former military acquaintances welcomed them back.

The room was soon filled with people talking and eating. An open bar helped keep the mood upbeat as did some quiet background music.

Quatre had just returned to Trowa's side after speaking with Wufei, and was in mid sentence about a trivial topic when he noticed his lover's eyes widen perceptively with a look that spoke of disbelief and astonishment. Not moving his eyes from an area behind the smaller blond, he grabbed hold of the Arabian's shoulders firmly with both hands as if to anchor himself.

"Tell me that's who I think it is," Trowa said almost breathlessly with excitement, then turned the blond to face the opposite direction.

Furrowing his blond eyebrows in curiosity, Quatre turned his line of sight to follow the direction of Trowa's eyes. His blue eyes lit on a young couple just entering the room. The girl had beautiful red hair that was elegantly swept up with long curling tendrils artfully escaping down the side of her face and shoulders. Her posture was perfect and her eyes, which were currently focused on her male companion, sparkled with intelligence and humor. She was young, he guessed, but nonetheless beautiful. As he didn't immediately recognize her, his eyes strayed to her escort. Her male companion's face was currently turned away from his line of sight, and he appeared to be just as slender in the waist and hip as the girl and had long, unbound, cinnamon color hair that was loose and reached down to the middle of his back. As he watched, the girl leaned over and kissed her companion on the cheek, then turned to merger with the large gathering.

Her escort turned also, his face coming into view for the first time as his large blue-violet eyes scanned the room.

"By Allah!" Quatre gasped with awareness. "Duo!" Blindly grabbing the sleeve of his partner's suit, he pulled him along after him as he made a beeline for their long-missing friend.

The young man turned to them as they approached and the undeniably handsome face grew more beautiful as a slow, warm smile blossomed on his face.

"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed and opened his arms to receive the warm, ever welcoming hug Duo always bestowed on them. Quatre stopped short however, when he realized Duo was standing straight and proper, his smile still in tact with his right hand stretched out in greeting.

Automatically, the former Sandrock pilot lowered his arms and placed his hand in Duo's, and after a brief shake of the joined hands, Duo pulled him forward for a half hug and quickly let him go.

A bit stunned by his friend's formal behavior, Quatre stood and blinked stupidly as he watched Duo repeat the same greeting with Trowa.

"It's good to see you again. How have you been?" Duo asked in a tone and manner of perfect politeness.

"We're...fine Duo." Trowa answered, his eyes blinking in stunned wonder.

"Where have you been? What's happened to you?" Quatre blurted out, still disbelieving this civil and polite person was Duo, their Duo.

"Well, that's a rather long story." Duo smiled. "But to make it short," he leaned forward and gave them a conspiring wink, "I got a life."

"We've been worried sick, Duo." Quatre scolded lightly, his handsome face frowning with disapproval. However, aware that they were in a public setting, he kept this voice and tone down. "What ever made you take off like that, and for three years?"

The blue violet eyes observed his former war buddies as they stood side by side, their smiles of welcome had faded to a look at that was much more serious. "You did," he replied without anger or resentment in his voice. "Didn't you get my note?"

"Yes," Trowa answered. "But we didn't want you out of our lives like that, Duo."

The long haired young man raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? I thought your words clearly stated that you preferred I stay at arms length from you and the comfortable little niches you'd found for yourselves. It was pretty clear to me that not a one of you wanted me with you. If I remember right," he raised his hands and counted off the reasons as he spoke them, "I didn't fit into proper society, I was undisciplined, Cathy hates me, Relena wanted me out of her and Heero's life, and then my lover blew me off." He put his hands down and shrugged. "What didn't I understand?" 

An uneasy silence fell between the three former friends as two of them clearly recalled the words they'd spoken over their friend's supposed sleeping form a little over three years ago.

Duo sighed with some satisfaction. With all the nervousness he'd felt at this reunion, it was surprising to him just how incredibly good it felt to get that off his chest. But he didn't really want to dwell on the past anymore; he had buried most of his hurt and anger under three years of hard work. He was here tonight to prove that he'd made good of the second chance the Peacecrafts had given him, starting at that moment by letting go of the past and the subject at hand.

Turning his head, his eyes strayed to look over the assemblage gathered to welcome back Zechs, Noin and their family. "Listen, don't get me wrong. I'm not angry...well, not anymore. Your words served a purpose and led me to a new life, a good life."

"One without us?" Quatre asked, feeling sad at the memory of their words, though not meant quite the way their friend had interpreted them, but nevertheless took Duo from them, and now it appeared their friend had a life of his own, with no room in it for them. Poetic justice is what Wufei would call the turnaround.

Duo turned his head to look squarely into the blond's eyes. "For the last three years, yes," he answered. "I was never one to stick around where I wasn't wanted." He continued in a casual, conversational tone that seemed so foreign to the Duo they had known, a person who had previously lived his life expressing his emotions rather freely. "But I've returned, having put the past behind me and the future still to be written. I don't need a place to go to or a friend who doesn't want or need me. I now stand on my own two feet." He gave his two former comrades a smile that spoke of his confidence and strong sense of self.

The other two young men stood dumbfounded at the air of self-assurance that rolled off the former Deathscythe pilot. It seemed like a complete stranger was standing in front of them.

A movement behind Duo brought Quatre to the awareness that Wufei was approaching them. With Duo's back to him, he had no idea what surprise was in store for him. Quatre inwardly smiled, knowing the Chinese Preventer was in for a shock.

Having shed his Preventer uniform in lieu of his traditional black Chinese suit, Wufei approached his two friends who were in conversation with another guest. "Excuse me." He shot a brief glance to the stranger on his interruption of their conversation, then focused his eyes on the two familiar faces. "May I have a word with you?" he asked them. His eyebrows drew together as Trowa smiled and Quatre tried to hold back his laughter.

"What?" Wufei looked down at his impeccable black suit to see if he'd acquired a spot.

"Wufei." Quatre's eyes sparkled with merriment at whatever private joke he was entertaining. "Let me reintroduce you to an old friend," he said and motioned to the guest they'd been talking to.

Turning, Wufei first became aware of a hand being held out to him. He took it in order to shake hands and then made eye contact with the other person for the first time and went absolutely, completely still. He had never been more shocked in his life.

"Hello Wufei. How are you?" Duo asked just as casually as if they had seen each other everyday for the last three years.

"Maxwell!" Wufei whispered in disbelief, his eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then settled his face into a scowl of disapproval. "Where the hell have you been for the last three years?" The Chinese man all but shouted his question, causing many of the guests in their vicinity to turn or look in their direction.

"Not here, that's for sure," the long haired man replied with a familiar teasing grin.

Wufei stared at his friend, registering the changes in his appearance and comportment.

"What's happened to you Duo?" he asked in a more normal tone, his face full of concern.

"Only good things I can assure you, Chang Wufei." And from the look on his face, the others could only believe it was true.

Wufei blinked in astonishment. Duo hadn't addressed him by one of the many pet names he always used instead of his proper name. After the first war ended, he'd given up trying to persuade or threaten the long haired teen into using his name properly. He'd gotten used to being called Wu-man, Wuffie, Fei-kun, Fei, Fei fi fo fum, Ching-Chang a walla walla bing bang, and any other twist on his first and last name that the former playful and irascible teen could come up with on the spur of a moment. He hadn't realized until the moment that Duo addressed him properly how much he missed the other's teasing.

"Duo?" The questioning voice came from behind the newly returned young man, and the eyes of those he was speaking to lifted in that direction with a look of slight apprehension to the person joining them. Easily recognizing the voice, the young, polished man steeled himself mentally. Though his heart was beating quickly, he managed to calmly turn with a gracious smile on his face and extended his hand out to the shocked, wide-eyed Japanese man.

Heero stared at the face he'd dreamed about for the last three years and noted the changes in his former lover. The rounded cheeks of the youth he'd loved had thinned as the boy grew into a man. Duo's former heart-shaped face was now a little more elongated into an oval, but the eyes were the same, big and beautiful. Duo had also grown, as had they all. He was still several inches shorter than himself, but he estimated his former lover was nearly five feet seven inches. Feeling numb, Heero's eyes moved downward to see a hand extended out for a handshake. Of all the things he and Duo had done together, they had never shaken hands before. He automatically responded by reaching out and clasping it, shaking the hand in his for a moment before Duo removed his from their grasp.

"It's good to see you Heero. You look well," Duo commented politely.

The Japanese man blinked at the stranger before him. The Duo he'd known previously would have yelled out a greeting, given an enthusiastic embrace, and then he would most likely whisper highly suggestive things into his ear while pinching his ass. But before him now stood a composed and polite gentleman. This wasn't the Duo he'd remembered, and this moment didn't even come close to any of the dreams he'd had of what their meeting again would be like. In his heart, he wanted the wild boy from L-2 back, not this stranger in expensive clothing and perfect manners.

Coming out of his shock and feeling overwhelmed by a number of emotions, Heero went to the easiest emotion to deal with in public, anger. His eyes narrowed. "Where have you been?" he growled.

"I'm fine," Duo smiled while speaking in a civil tone. "Thank you for asking. Yes, my trip was quite nice and the weather here is unusually warm for Spring, isn't it?" The well-groomed young man continued on with the conversation geared away from more personal matters.

"Duo." Heero growled threatening as he stepped forward, wanting to throttle this impostor and find the real Duo somewhere underneath the picture perfect young man.

"Excuse me." A young female voice called out interrupted whatever was about to happen as everyone stopped to turn and stare at her. Quatre recognized her as the girl who had come in on Duo's arm and now, seeing her up close, he could see that she was even more beautiful up close than what he'd perceived before. She moved in front of Heero and took hold of Duo's hand. "We're needed up front," she whispered, looking nervously at the young men surrounding her. Duo nodded, excused himself properly, then allowed the girl to lead him away and disappeared into a group of guests.

"What the hell?" Wufei muttered his confusion, expressing it for all of them as all four sets of eyes followed the two until they disappeared into the crowd. Never had any of them seen two more beautiful people together before.

Quatre rubbed his heart and looked aside to Heero, the source of the ache he was feeling. The former Wing pilot looked crestfallen as he watched the two walk away. Quatre instinctively wanted to offer his friend some comfort, but knew it wouldn't be appreciated, especially in public. He remembered well that Heero always gave Duo a bad time for any sign of physical contact in public, something Duo had always resented. Since that memory wasn't necessarily a good one, the blond turned his mind to something else, Wufei's voice.

"Did he tell you anything?" Wufei asked and Heero slowly drew his eyes away from the spot Duo had disappeared from and looked to the blond being addressed. 

"Not where he's been or what brought about this change," Quatre answered.

"I don't like it," Heero stated sullenly.

The other three blinked in surprise. "Heero." Quatre stepped forward and put his hand on Heero's arm, risking the glare that didn't come. "We caused him to change when we each declined him a place with us. We were fools to think our indifference wouldn't affect him." The blond sadly shook his head. "We've all changed in the last three years, but who would have imagined this? At least it looks like he was safe and is happy. Isn't that the best of all the scenarios we came up with when we tried to imagine what kind of life he was living?"

The sound of a small bell ringing brought everyone's attention to the front of the room where a riser had been placed. The four former pilots could see Relena's face just above her guests, her arms motioning the crowd in front of her to come closer.

"Welcome everyone," Relena said with a warm smile on her face and a sparkle of happiness in her eyes. "If you could please step forward, I won't have to shout to be heard."

She smiled sweetly to those who complied with her request and the four former pilots made their way towards the front right side of the riser, led by Heero. The three shared an amused glance at each other as they followed in his wake. It was an inside joke between them that crowds of people always parted before the Japanese man like the story Duo told them about once about the Red Sea parting before Moses. Heero didn't even need to push his way through the crowd of people or beg their pardon, they simply took one look at his stoic, determined face, the piercing blue eyes intensely focused on his goal, and wisely stepped aside, and then quickly helped their date to do so even if they didn't understand why.

Reaching the desired spot near the small stage front, Heero looked back at his friends questioningly as they chuckled at some joke he was obviously not privy to.

Relena nodded and began her speech. "Thank you everyone for coming tonight to welcome my brother, Milliardo, and his family back home to Earth after three years on the Mars working on the terra forming project that we've all read so much about. We've missed you Milliardo and Lucretia, and we're so happy to have you back with us."

She paused in her speech as the welcoming guests began to applaud their agreeing sentiment. Relena joined in with her eyes on the two people before her. She then held her hands up to silence the crowd. "My brother has requested he make the introductions of his family. So, my dear brother, the stage is yours." She stepped down and the tall, platinum blond man stepped up and took her place.

He nodded and raised his hands to stop the applause of the three hundred and seventy five guests. "Thank you," he said, smiling warmly. "It's been a long but wonderful three years," he began. "Lucretia and I were proud to go to Mars and do our part to help with the terra-forming project, which is needed in order for life to exist on that barren planet. The ten square miles we've help to convert to an earth-like habitat will shortly be supporting more than just the scientists and teams of workers presently living and working there."

He was interrupted by more enthusiastic applause. He continued when it quickly died down. "This also proved to be a good time to have a family and to bond together as a cohesive unit. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our son Maximilian D. Peacecraft and daughter Mariemaia Kushrenada Peacecraft."

Zechs looked to the area directly in front of the stage and smiled broadly, his hands moved to indicate to the two being introduced to come forward. To the entire crowd's utter amazement, the handsome young man in the dark European style suit with the long, loose cinnamon colored hair and the beautiful red headed girl who had entered the room on his arm stepped up onto the stage to stand, one on each side of the tall blond man. As they turned to face the audience, many in the crowd audibly gasped at the beauty of the three, so different in contrast to each other, blond, redhead, and brunet.

"I'm proud to call these two my children and hope you will welcome and accept them as such."

Applause was the audience's reply, a very enthusiastic applause even though there were a few who stood numb with shock, namely the four former gundam pilots and Relena.

"If I only had a camera," said a low-toned yet feminine voice next to them. 

Wufei turned to glare at Lady Une noting the easy smile on her face. 

"The look of dumb shock on your faces is priceless," she added with a smug smile growing on her face as the applause around them came to an end.

"You knew, didn't you?" The Chinese Preventer accused her, already knowing the answer by her casual attitude to the news of Duo's adoption and the realization as to where he'd been for the past three years. Now Wufei knew why he found no trace at all of the former Deathscythe pilot, and he was anything but pleased with the deception and his superior's part in it. He inwardly fumed at the thought of the many hours he'd spent looking for his former comrade when someone he'd trusted withheld the information from him.

"Yes," she replied, aware that four sets of accusing eyes were turned on her. "I had to help Milliardo expedite the adoption papers and the official clearance necessary for Duo and May to join the research team. I was asked to keep it confidential," she added with a slight shrug, dismissing any guilt she should feel, but didn't.

"And I have one more announcement to make." Zechs called everyone's attention back to the front. His blue eyes sparkled with joy as he stood with his arm around each of his children as they stood at his side smiling politely. With a motion of his hand, Lucretia stepped up on the platform. The red headed girl moved to allow her mother to take her place at her husband's side. The tall willowy woman completed the contrasting picture. Her darker skin and black, shoulder-length hair cut in a bob added a new beauty to the handsome and diverse-looking family.

"Two months on a slow freighter coming back to Earth seems to have had another added benefit to our family," Zechs began, his eyes never leaving his wife. "We're expecting a baby."

Despite the aura of proper decorum the four on the riser had displayed, young Mariemaia squealed in delight at the news and hugged her mother enthusiastically. Duo was the first to congratulate the tall blond man giving him an embrace and a resounding thump on his back. It was apparent that the announcement was a pleasant surprise to the two adopted children as well.

Quatre happened to look aside to gage his friend's reactions. Heero's eyes were narrowed in displeasure and following his line of sight, he saw Zechs return Duo's hug, a warm, heartfelt one that had been denied them when they greeted Duo moments before. Wufei's mouth was pressed into a firm line as he gave a furious side-long glance towards Lady Une. Yes, he was clearly angry with her for withholding the information on Duo's whereabouts during the three years of search for him, spending endless hours on dead-end clues. 

As he studied the others with interest and a bit of worry, Quatre felt a reassuring touch on his shoulder. Looking to the side and up, he was surprised to see an amused smile on Trowa's face. "What so funny?" he asked his lover, confused at what could be construed as humorous with the situation, but unable to not smile back.

"I swear Duo is just like a cat," Trowa said, his eyes lifting to the stage. "Whenever the odds are against him and he finds himself falling, he lands squarely back on his feet," he explained, then turned his smile on the blond. "And this time, he landed very well."

Quatre's eyes turned towards the obviously happy group of people just stepping off the platform. "He does look happy, doesn't he?" he observed.

Trowa pulled the smaller young man closer to his body, his arm tightening around his shoulders. "Almost as happy as we are," he whispered in his ear. Quatre's arm came around Trowa's waist and gave him a slight squeeze to confirm his agreement with that statement.

"Come on." Trowa continued to smile. "We came here to welcome Zechs and his new family home. I think we should do just that."

Quatre smiled lovingly up at his partner, still amazed at his good fortune that Trowa loved him back. With that brief statement and the warm smile on his love's handsome face, Quatre knew Trowa held no jealousy or animosity towards Duo for their brief relationship early in the war. Before they had gotten together, Trowa had no clue about it until they started to get serious about each other, then Quatre felt his soon-to-be lover had a right to know who he'd been involved with before they met, and that meant only Duo.

With their arms draped about each other, the two young men started forward and Quatre looked back. "You guys coming?" he asked.

Wufei looked like he had a bone to pick yet with his boss and Heero actually looked to be in an indecisive stupor.

"Come on Heero." Quatre gently urged his friend to follow. "Let's not let Duo slip through our fingers from neglect once again."

Heero blinked, as if coming out of a dream, then nodded his head and followed behind the two as they made their way to their newly returned friend and his family.

TBC


	6. part 6

Warnings and Disclaimer on first page of story

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 6

Even though he was part of the group conversing, Heero stood to the back of it and watched the interactions between Duo and his adoptive family as well as with the other guests, many of whom were strangers to the young man newly returned to Earth. The former street kid from L-2 showed none of the brash forwardness he might have previously displayed in front of a group of people. Instead, he greeted everyone with a polite handshake, a proper and polite salutation and carried on a brief, slightly formal but friendly conversation with each new acquaintance, gracing every one of them with a pleasant smile. Heero fought back the urge to grab his former lover's slender shoulders and shake this imposter until the real Duo Maxwell came back to his senses.

He purposely held back from approaching Duo, the crowd of people surrounding him making any type of personal conversation impossible. He contented himself to stand back for the moment as a bystander and listened with half an ear to the inane conversations coming from all directions around him. The topics were varied but always polite and non-intrusive, the kind of conversations he always heard at the social and official receptions that he'd been required as part of his job to attend with Relena.

Heero's one consolation in having to bide his time before he could speak to Duo was to notice that, every once in a while, Duo's remarkable eyes would lift up while in conversation with someone else to meet his own, scrutinizing every detail of his person. A slight look of confusion would flitter across the long-haired man's face before it was replaced by a pleasant, proper smile before he returned to look at the person he had been speaking to.

In all his imaginings, Heero had never dreamed that this was how he'd find Duo again. He had envisioned opening the door to his room to see his lover slouching lazily against the door frame with a saucy smile on his face that always spelled wonderful and delicious trouble. He even dreamt of it happening by a chance meeting at a coffee shop or even in passing on the street. But his very favorite daydream found him rolling over in bed to find Duo sleeping peacefully next to him.

Eventually, the crowd around the family thinned as the evening wore on and food, wine and music became the entertainment. Heero observed Quatre speaking at length with Duo in a low tone that made it impossible to follow the conversation from the short distance from where they stood and where Heero positioned himself. But from the looks on their faces, it looked like broken fences were being mended.

"I still can't believe it." Relena's voice came softly from his right side as her hand moved with familiarity under his arm to led her hand rest on the sleeve of his jacket. "I'm Duo's aunt," she said with amusement mingled with a tone of the ridiculous. "Guess I should take back the model airplane kit I bought for Maximilian."

"The one with the workable engine that actually flies?" Heero asked and Relena nodded.

"Give it to him anyway. Duo would love it," he replied, then let a momentary doubt cloud his mind as he rethought his suggestion. "At least I think he will. Duo might finally be past the toy put-it-together-by-yourself stage." 

"Maybe," Relena said, looking thoughtfully at the young man in question. "But this is Maximilian, not Duo. Did you know he's been taking college courses while on Mars?"

Heero shook his head. He knew that during the war Duo had expressed a desire to go to college one day and the thought made him frown, wondering how he'd managed to forget that small, important detail. 

"He's only got one semester to go before he graduates in the field of Mechanical Engineering."

"That's a good field for him," Heero said. "He always loved tinkering on the gundams and could figure out the mechanics of almost anything."

"Really?" Relena asked, looking surprised at this new information about her nephew.

Heero nodded when suddenly his attention was brought to focus on a new person breaking through the crowd and bounding over to Duo's side. A young man that Heero estimated to be in his early twenties with sandy colored hair and standing at about six feet tall. Heero took in the man's handsome face that had two large dimples in his cheeks that deepened with his growing smile as he approached the long-haired former pilot, giving him a dazzling grin.

"Max!" he called out enthusiastically, then embraced the young man, laughing at the surprise on the face of the recipient of his hug. Duo, to his credit, managed to quickly extricate himself from the other man's arms and blushed with embarrassment. "You're all grown up and looking better than ever, if that's possible," the stranger announced loud enough for the people standing around them to hear.

Heero's eyes narrowed. He definitely did not like this...interloper.

"Marcus, you made it." Duo smiled congenially up at the still smiling person whose arm clamped around the smaller shoulders in a friendly, possessive manner. "It's good to see you again."

"I told you I'd be here, didn't I? Though I had a devil of a time with the commuter jet." Marcus replied with a haughty air.

"That you did," Duo said, then turned to his former friends at the sound of Quatre politely clearing his throat. He smiled apologetically then faced the newcomer. "Let me introduce you to some of my old friends." He motioned to Quatre first. "Marcus Standish let me acquaint you with Quatre Winner and standing next to him is his partner Trowa Barton."

Marcus held his hand out to both and shook their hands while stating his pleasure at making their acquaintances. "Are you the Winner heir from L-4 then?" he asked Quatre with great interest. Once it was confirmed he was indeed that Winner, Duo drew his attention to the others in the group before Marcus could ask about their how he became acquainted with the multi-billionaire Winner.

"And this is Wufei Chang." Duo motioned to the stern and disapproving looking Chinese man who look anything but pleased in passing such pleasantries with the stranger. The two nodded their heads in greeting other than offering their hands.

"I assume you know my Aunt Relena?" Duo said with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes at labeling the girl his own age as his relative while Marcus took the young woman's small hand into his.

"Of course," Relena spoke with a shy smile. "We've met briefly at the country estate over the past few years."

Duo then motioned to the Japanese man standing at Relena's elbow, looking as welcoming as Wufei had been. "And if I'm not mistaken, Heero Yuy here is still Relena's bodyguard." Duo noticed the forbidding look on Heero's face. "He doesn't do handshakes," he said quietly aside to Marcus, alerting him with his voice and a look not to offer his hand to the intense young man unless he wanted to lose it.

"Where do you know each other from?" Heero spoke up for the first time since the five former friends had gathered around to talk to Duo. He found it disconcerting to see someone touching Duo and not knowing how he fit into his former lover's life.

"We met at Milliardo and Noin's estate several weeks before the trip to Mars," Duo answered. "Marcus took pity on me and decided to get me out of my slump by attempting to teach me how to ride a horse and play tennis." He chuckled at some memory that amused him. "I was pretty bad at both if I remember right."

"Yes, you were," Marcus piped in, still smiling handsomely. "But now you're back and we can resume your lessons." The taller man winked at Duo and Heero stiffened.

"I'm sure now that you've graduated from the University and are well into your career that you're too busy for such pastimes." Duo countered lightly, dismissing the offer in a very socially correct manner.

"Well, that's true." Marcus agreed. "But I still have some evenings and weekends for which I'll make myself completely disposable to your every whim."

Duo blushed at the not so subtle suggestion.

Milliardo approached from behind and stepping between them and clapped a hand on both Duo and Marcus's shoulders. "Marcus, glad you could make it. What do you think of my son? Isn't he great?" The blond man was either unaware or ignoring the surprised or angry expression on the other spectator's faces as Marcus gave "the son" a devouring look that traveled up and down the smaller young man's body."

"Definitely great," the sandy haired man purred.

Duo's blush increased as Heero's fists balled up as he watched, unable to do anything about the stranger's forward behavior.

Relena sensed the tension in his body and gave the sleeve of his suit jacket a tug to bring him back into focus. She leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Not here, Heero. Duo doesn't seen to want a scene."

From all he'd seen that night, he had to agree. Duo had been everything proper and respectful, but it took a lot of willpower to not knock the smug possessive grin from off the newcomer's face.

"What is it that you're doing now, Marcus?" Relena wisely changed the subject and the uncomfortable direction it was taking them.

"I'm in finance," he told her. "I work in Paris with the firm of Shelling and Boroughs."

"Is that Laura Shelling's father?" Relena inquired. 

Marcus's eyes widened in pleasure. "Yes, I'm well acquainted with Laura."

"She was a classmate of mine." Relena smiled at the happy coincidence. "How is she?"

The conversation drifted to the boring and mundane social topics of friends and acquaintances within the upper social circles. Some guests who had lingered around them began to drift off, seeing the conversation was no long centered on the newly returned family.

Duo's eyes strayed once again and caught Heero's gaze resting on him. With a lift of one dark eyebrow and a nod of his head to the side, Heero invited him to step aside with him. He smiled at his former lover and nodded his acceptance, then excused himself from the small group.

Marcus continued with the conversation he was engaged in, but kept his eyes on his smaller acquaintance as he left not only the conversing circle, but joined the bodyguard near the garden door and left the room.

Heero had to school his reactions in order to hide all the emotions that were going on inside him. He was feeling upset at the change in Duo, yet was secretly thrilled to have him back. But that guy Marcus, his attention to his former lover was definitely disturbing, he could see the possessive nature of the guy and that he was focused solely on Duo; that angered him also. Then, as he watched Duo walk towards him, he felt his heart begin to race. Damn but he was beautiful. Having lost some of the look of boyishness had not taken away any of his physical beauty. There was a strange wave of pleasure that coursed through Heero at the realization that Duo as still a bit shorter then he was, though he was slightly taller then when he had last seen him. He didn't know if that was because of his male ego, or the idea that their two bodies would fit perfectly together standing up or lying down. Inwardly laughing at his thoughts, he looked up to analyze further changes. Duo's face had become a bit more angled, his shoulders a bit broader, and he was still as trim and lovely as ever. The suit he wore fit as it if was handcrafted just for him and, as with almost everything he wore, Duo wearing the suit made it a work of art. The beautiful young man came to a stop in front of him, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Let's walk out to the gardens." Heero suggested, happy that his voice was steady and didn't give away his nervousness.

With a slight nod, the long haired twenty-year old agreed and side by side the two left the noisy gathering for the dimly lit gardens.

The air of the cool spring evening was filled with the fragrance of roses and jasmine in their first bloom. Duo took in a deep breath trying to will his rapidly beating heart to slow down. He had been totally unprepared to his body's physical reaction to not only seeing Heero again, but in being so physically close to him. He could smell his former lover's cologne, and he could almost swear that the eyes that he'd emotionally drowned in as a fifteen year old were even more intensely blue than ever before. "Ah," he exhaled happily. "I've forgotten how great the Earth smells." He inwardly smiled to himself, thinking Heero smelled even better.

"Most of the time," Heero replied with a crooked smile. "You should be here when they fertilize this place."

Duo smirked. "Yeah, well, most of the time then."

"You cut your hair." Heero stated, careful not to let his disappointment come out in his voice. Duo's long hair had always been so alluring and such an intricate part of the boy from L-2. He used to love undoing the perpetually braided length of hair and comb his fingers through the long, rippling mass to which he was one of the very few people to have ever see it down.

"Yes," Duo replied in a slight tone of sadness with a trace of self chastisement. "I acted impulsively, thinking that by cutting it off I would put my past completely behind me. I hacked it off in anger while standing in my bathroom aboard the ship to Mars, and regretted it immediately." He paused to sigh deeply at the loss and his stupidity at cutting it off. "I still have it, my braid that is," he continued. "I couldn't toss it, not with all the memories it contained." He reached his hand up and pulled it through his long hair that cascaded down to the middle of his back, thinking that Heero was certainly a part of the memories in that length of saved hair and the main reason he had acted so unwisely. "It wasn't five minutes after it was cut off that I realized I missed it and I haven't cut it since. I still wear my hair a braid but thought that for tonight I'd leave it down." He sighed deeply. "Now when I braid it, I have better memories attached to it then I did before."

They walked in awkward silence for a few minutes before Duo spoke again. "So, how are you Heero? What have you been doing for the last three years?" he asked.

"Honestly?" Heero asked, wondering how much he should tell the young man walking beside him who seemed so different and yet the same as the boy he knew during the war.

"Yes, honestly," Duo said with his smile fading slightly at his former lover's somber tone of voice.

"Looking for you," Heero said unabashedly open while looking into the familiar and painfully missed blue-violet eyes that looked back at him with surprise. Heero took Duo's elbow and led him to the gazebo in the center of the garden. The white strand of lights surrounding the roof line of the structure was the only illumination in the darkened structure and it cast a soft glow onto the two young men facing each other.

"I told you not to worry about me." Duo spoke again as he moved to one of the pillars and leaned against it. "Was it guilt that spurred your pursuit?" he asked with a frown.

"Partly," the Japanese young man said as he stepped closer and stopped only inches away from the other.

"Well, what other reason was there?" Duo asked squirming, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the close proximity of the person who set his pulse to racing.

"This," Heero said before he quickly moved forward and captured Duo's lips with his own. He heard the long haired young man take in a quick breath of surprise, but after several moments of re-claiming the lips he'd dreamt of tasting again, Duo responded in kind, tentatively at first, as if reluctant, but soon he kissed back with no small amount of enthusiasm. Heero moaned into his lover's mouth as Duo's arms came up under his jacket to feel the lines of his back through his dress shirt and pressed in, pushing them closer so that their bodies came together in a more intimate manner. Their mouths devoured each other's, each starving for the taste and feel for that which had been so long denied.

When at last the kiss ended, Heero pressed even closer, brushing back the thick, heavenly smelling hair to whisper into Duo's ear. "I've missed you so much," he said in a quiet voice full of passion. "Let me take you to my room and show you just how much." He was being honest, revealing his feelings and making himself vulnerable for Duo's sake. Because of that, it came as a surprise when Duo's body became tense, and he blinked in startled surprise when he felt two hands press against his shoulders that thrust him away.

Confused, he stared at the person he'd given his heart to years ago to see Duo, his eyes narrowed in displeasure and breathing so deeply that Heero could see the heaving of his chest.

"What?" Heero asked, wondering what he'd done wrong now.

"No, Heero. No." Duo said with conviction.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes becoming hooded as he tried to figure out what was happening.

"I'm not just your convenient lay any more." Duo spat out in mild anger. "I've got a name and a family now and I'm almost out of college with a future in front of me. I'm no longer that pathetic, needy kid who would have rolled over and let you have your way with me just so you could be relieved of your hormonal stress and for me to feel wanted, even if it was for only an hour or two. I need more than that, Heero. I deserve more than that."

Heero's anger was rising along with Duo's. "You think that's how I felt about you? Hormonal stress release?" He yelled back in disbelief.

"What else was I suppose to think?" Duo continued to shout. "When did you ever tell me that you cared for me other than a friend or that there could be anything else between us after the war other than casual sex? Your actions at the Celebration Ball certainly spoke loudly enough." Duo pointed his finger accusingly at the other. "You made it perfectly clear that night where I stood, that you had no room in your life for me. Relena wanted me gone and you were gladly going to have me shuffled off, happy to be rid of the troublesome hanger-on that had to have Wufei as a babysitter. I realized that night that I was still your dirty little secret, someone to use in the bedroom and to keep at a distance in public." Duo's voice had lowered and his anger had calmed somewhat so that only his sadness at remembering the past lingered. "You made me ashamed of myself Heero," he said in a quiet and hurt voice, "and after making love to you I was left feeling dirty." He took in a deep, calming breath of air and slowly let it out. "I came to earth looking for a home. I desperately needed to find someone or something to ground me, but everyone of you dismissed me from your lives." 

As angry and hurt as Duo's words sounded, and as much as he wanted to dismiss Duo's view of that night and their relationship, Heero grudgingly knew that his former lover's view of their past was true from his perspective, and it was totally his fault; he hadn't told Duo how he really felt. It was the biggest mistake of his life not to have told him, and without meaning to, he and the others had deeply wounded the insecure heart of the boy from L-2.

"What you say is partially right, Duo," Heero said in a contrite voice, having calmed along with Duo. "But it's also wrong in that I never gave you all the facts." He took Duo's shoulders in his two hands and waited until the large, beautiful and sad eyes raised up and focused on his own. "I love you, Duo. I have for years," he confessed firmly so there would be no doubt of his sincerity. "I just had a hard time dealing with how vulnerable it made me feel, how weak I felt in having so many tumultuous feelings for not only another person, but for another boy. I didn't tell you and I'm sorry. I was wrong. And I never thought of you as an easy lay. Good in bed, yes, but ever easy."

He was rewarded with a slight twitching of the corners of Duo's well-kissed lips. Encouraged, Heero continued. "I'm sorry for that night and so are the others. I didn't want you to go," he stated firmly. 'But this isn't my home, it's Relena's. If she wanted you gone, there wasn't much I could do about it. From the moment I was told you needed a place to go, I regretted that I hadn't a home to offer you."

"It still hurt," Duo mumbled, his eyes focusing on Heero's tie clip. "You chose your position and Relena's wishes over me."

"If it helps to know, we were all guilt ridden and ashamed of ourselves the next morning when we discovered you'd gone, especially me. And after you'd been missing for several weeks, I realized the enormous mistake I'd made in not telling you how I felt, for not having been prepared to keep you by my side, and I knew then just what it was that I'd lost. I swear to you, Duo," he paused to make sure his newly returned friend saw the earnestness in his eyes. "I have never been more filled with regret than I have been these last three years. All the things I hated doing in the war never compared to the remorse I've felt at how badly things turned out at the ball, so different from what I'd planned."

Duo looked up at him, his curiosity piqued. "What did you plan? I had no hint of anything from you."

"I originally planned on finishing my duties in guarding Relena that night and speak to you first thing in the morning, when we woke up together in my bed." His eyes studied Duo's, seeing his former lover trying to figure things out. "I didn't want us to be separated any more. I was going to suggest you come to Earth and we could get an apartment, though with my job it would have been difficult. But I was even prepared quit my job and move to L-2 if that was where you wanted to stay. I just wanted us to be together, Duo. But all of my plans changed when you got drunk and we left you in that room, talking over your not-so-sleeping body. I went to get you the next morning and you were gone, I had missed my chance." He shook his head, pushing back the loneliness and pain still echoing in his heart. "Three years is a long time to run, Duo. I had begun to think you would never forgive me."

Several moments of silence passed, and the long-haired young man started to look a bit uncomfortable. "Well," he drawled dragging his eyes away from Heero to look off into the dark garden. "As you say, it's been three years. I guess we should try to put the past and all the hurt to rest, don't you think?"

The words were like manna from heaven to Heero's heart and hopes, and he moved forward again with the intent to capture his lover's lips when Duo's hand pressed up against his chest to stop him. 

"I'm different now, Heero." Duo began to explain with his hand staying on the strong chest that was giving off a delicious warmth. "I have a family and a name that carries some weight in the world."

"Yes?" Heero wondered where this line of thought was going.

"I can't besmirch the gift Milliardo and Noin have given me by having a brief affair with someone."

Heero blinked in shock at Duo's words. "Brief, what are you talking about?"

"I mean," Duo said in an exasperated huff and letting his hand fall to his side, "that like Relena or any other person with a name to protect, I can't act carelessly or wantonly. I'm expected to conduct myself with proper decorum at all times."

"What antiquated etiquette book have you been reading?" Heero asked, his own voice rising. "Who told you this?"

"My adoptive parents," Duo said defensively. "I owe them so much for all they've done for me. Acting proper is a small price to pay in return."

"So you won't go to bed with me and let me make love to you because it would harm the Peacecraft name?" Heero asked, re-stating Duo's answer as his eyes narrowed unhappily on the equally frowning man in front of him.

Duo's hands went on his hips. "Heero, you don't know me any more. I've changed," he replied hotly. "It would be as if we had just met and I went to bed with you. Would you allow Relena to make the same mistake?"

Heero paused to consider his answer. "I would probably try to talk her into waiting."

"Why?"

"To make sure the other's intentions were honorable. That the other person was trustworthy and sincere."

"Exactly!" A hint of Duo's smile came back.

Heero's eyes widened in hurt disbelief. "You don't trust me or think I'm sincere?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Duo saw the look and silently cursed himself for leading Heero to that conclusion. Time to do some damage control. He reached out his hand and set it gently on Heero's forearm. "I'd trust you with my life, absolutely," he said in an adamant tone so Heero would clearly understand what he was saying. "And I've never known you to say something you didn't mean. But," he continued slowly. "I don't know if I can trust you with my heart."

The feelings of hurt didn't diminish in Heero's heart nor in the pained look displayed on his face at the last comment. His anger slowly welled up inside him as a defense mechanism. "Do you trust that...that Marcus?" Heero spoke abruptly and peevishly, his hand raised to point towards the noisy room they'd left a short time before. "He was all over you in there."

"No!" Duo snapped back. "I don't know him well enough to trust him. As I said, I met him briefly three years ago and we exchanged letters. But I have to admit Heero, that it is kind of refreshing to know someone wants me and is willing to openly pursue me even if we are of the same gender."

Inwardly, Heero winced as a strained silence fell between the two former lovers. That subject had always been a bone of contention between the two of them during the war. At the beginning of their relationship he made Duo promise to keep it a secret, saying it might interfere with how the other pilots interacted with them. 

Things changed after he had self-detonated and Duo, thinking him dead, had not only told the blond Arabian of their relationship, but also carried on a brief affair with Quatre. Once they re-gathered in space, he quickly reclaimed the beautiful, wild boy from L-2 after freeing him from an Oz prison and a likely death sentence. He was anything but happy when a wounded and guilt ridden Duo confessed his affair with Quatre. His lover had said it happened only because he believed Heero was dead and that Quatre had been trying to ease his heartache. He promised, with his hand on his cross, that it was over between he and Quatre, that he and the Sandrock pilot were just friends. Believing Duo, knowing he never lied, Heero had decided to let bygones be bygones, though a lingering jealousy hovered over him whenever he saw Duo and Quatre with their head bent towards each other in quiet conversation or sharing a joke. 

It was after a heated argument with Duo one night on Peacemillion that things between them began to change. In the privacy of their shared quarters, Heero had reprimanded Duo for hugging him in the mess hall in front of Howard's crew. Feeling hurt at the rebuff, the long haired teen accused Heero of being ashamed of him, and if he felt that way they needn't continue their sleeping arrangements any further. Heero had already decided he wasn't about to let Duo go, so he came up with the concession that they could tell the other pilots, leaving Duo's anger and hurt somewhat appeased. 

Heero had always kept to himself the real reason for his decision to tell the others; the reason that was painful for him to admit to anyone, including himself. He had an unnatural sense of possessiveness when it came to the Deathscythe pilot. In confessing his relationship with Duo to the others, he could stake his claim on the beautiful teenager whose eyes sparkled with an unparalleled brilliance when he was impassioned or angry. Informing the other three sent a silent message to them to stay clear of what was his, especially Quatre, who maintained a close bond with Duo. He was determined that he was going be the only person to ever intimately touch Duo again. He would not, no, could not ever share the gregarious Deathscythe pilot with anyone else in an intimate way. Duo could have the friends and the independence he craved as long as he always came back to Heero and to his bed. 

It was after this joint confession to the others that Heero made his next mistake. With the other three informed of their relationship, Heero had made it clear to his teenage lover that what went on in the confines of their bedroom was still their business alone and that outside of that room they would continue having absolutely no display of affection or hint of their relationship other than being friends.

He frowned with the remembrance, knowing he was the one responsible for Duo feeling ashamed after their lovemaking. His narrow parameters on their relationship was most likely what distanced them after the first war when they each went their own way. At the onset of their separation, he had come to believe it would be good for the two of them to be away from each other for a short while. He felt the need to somehow purge himself of his possessive attitude towards the long haired boy that he craved more than air itself, sensing it wasn't healthy in a long-term relationship. 

The need to possess Duo did become more tolerable with his absence, but soon Heero found himself making up legitimate sounding excuses to visit L-2 where Duo lived and worked, and he was delighted when Duo reciprocated, visiting him on Earth. Both made frequent trips to visit each other when they could manage it, enjoying each other's company and bodies during that year between wars.

It was during the Barton attempted coup, on the colony that had been destined to fall into Earth, that he sucker punched Duo and left him with Trowa as a prisoner. That action caused a change between the two of them. And after the war concluded, Duo had gone back to L-2 without visiting him in the hospital or saying goodbye. He never did get a chance to explain to his lover that the punch was to keep him safe. If it was at all possible, Heero wanted the spare Duo any more pain and the nightmares that another war would bring.

When the Celebration Ball was held three months later, Heero had been nervous and excited about Duo's coming. Ahead of time he saw to it that his former lover was housed in his room and even special ordered the tuxedo with the cummerbund and tie that matched Duo's unforgettable eyes. Heero found himself tense and stressed with the security being greatly stepped down to a more comfortable level, as per Relena's adamant request, and had asked Wufei to make sure Duo was kept under control, knowing his propensity for getting into trouble at parties. He felt things would go smoothly until the ball was over, then he and Duo could talk and figure out their futures together. He had it all planned out, scheduled the time in his head for the next morning. But when he'd come into his bathroom and found Duo sensually luxuriating in the large, bubble-filled bathtub, he was unable to resist until the proper, scheduled time and he'd taken possession of the trim and well-toned body, claiming the boy from L-2 again right there in his bathroom. 

He mentally smacked himself in the head. He'd made so many mistakes with Duo in the past that he just wanted to make sure he didn't bungle things again when it was clearly imperative that he figure out what Duo wanted and needed and then meet those needs in order to have the boy, now a stunning young man, at his side again.

This wasn't going to be easy, he told himself as he looked at Duo patiently waiting for him to continue. He wasn't used to displaying affection in public. His feelings for Duo had always been a private matter, almost sacred to him. But this Marcus, a clear challenger for Duo's affections, had upped the ante. Even the thought of the other man's hands on Duo and his pointedly possessive manner towards his former lover made Heero's blood boil at the memory of it. 

His eyes narrowed as he reached out and gripped Duo's shoulders. "You will not let that...Marcus touch you," he ordered sternly.

Duo brought his hands up and knocked Heero's from off of him and looked him square in the eye. "You can't tell me what to do anymore, Heero. We're not together any longer."

"I want to be, but you're just being obstinate." He growled back in frustration.

"I am not being obstinate!" Duo protested with his hands on his hips. "I'm being practical. I want more than an occasional roll in the sheets."

"What?" Heero shouted, not caring who heard. "Is that really all it was to you? Our times together certainly meant more to me than just sex, but now you make me wonder what your true feelings were." He paused, eyes searching the startled ones before them and forced himself to calm down. "What precisely is it that you want, Duo? What do I have to do?" he added in weary desperation. These emotional exchanges with Duo had always left him mentally exhausted and it seemed that hadn't changed in three years.

"I need more than what I think you can give me, Heero." Duo stared up at him, his incredulous expression slowly melted into a look of loss and sorrow. "I want to be loved and not have my partner feel ashamed of me. I want commitment, not an infrequent bout of sex in your large bed, but a lifetime promise that love won't fade or leave me. I want a home, a place to call my own." He paused watching the confused look on Heero's face and sighed forlornly. "Maybe it's better to just put our relationship in the past, Heero. It might hurt less than if we pursue this any further and fail."

The former Wing pilot looked up through his long, dark bangs that fringed over his forehead. "I just can't give you up, Duo. I need you too much"

"Then I suggest you think this conversation over and if you come to the conclusion that you can provide for my needs as I've laid out for you, then you have only one thing more to do."

Heero tilted his head a bit to the side. "And what's that?" he asked.

Duo moved forward and lifted up to put his lips gently against Heero's and whispered, "Win me." With a quick kiss on the lips, he turned and promptly darted off, disappearing into the darkness of the garden in the direction of the ballroom, leaving Heero to ponder his words.

Heero watched the person who held his affections scamper down the garden path. He thoughtfully brought his fingers to his lips and not only felt the place Duo had just teasingly kissed, but also the small smile that began to form. An old saying came to his mind, and he rephrased it to fit the person and the occasion. You can take the boy from L-2 out of the street and away from the war, but you couldn't take them and all the experiences that came with that past out of the boy. To all appearances, Duo looked the picture of high society, all cleaned up, properly dressed and socially acceptable, but down underneath the expensive suit and cultured tone of voice, he was still the fiery, scrappy kid from L-2, the former gundam pilot and his own Shinigami lover. 

TBC


	7. part 7

Disclaimer and Warnings on first page of fic

Second Chances

Dyna Dee

Part 7

Heero returned to the ballroom sometime later, spending the remainder of the evening at a distance from his former lover and watching Duo's interactions with the other guests, including Marcus Standish, displaying to himself, if not to others, that he still had a great deal of self control as the other man frequently touched or caressed what was not his. As the night grew late, the Milliardo Peacecraft family took their leave, claiming jet lag as a valid excuse.

Once the guests of honor had gone, the rest of the guests, seeming reluctant to leave, followed their example. As the last loquacious guest parted, Heero escorted Relena to her private suite of rooms. She couldn't help her eyes constantly shifting to her silent companion to determine his mood and reaction to Duo's return.

"Quite a surprise about Duo, wasn't it?" She asked in an easy conversational tone as her hand gently gripped Heero's tense arm.

"Yes." His reply was curt.

Relena's eyes narrowed at his lack of emotion, knowing how hard Heero had searched for Duo for the last three years and what the long haired young man meant to him. An evil thought came to her. "Marcus Standish certainly seems smitten with him."

No reply.

"What did you and Duo talk about...in the garden?" She gave him a knowing smile that yes, she had seen the two of them disappear for approximately twenty minutes into the dark garden.

"Things," he said calmly, not allowing the young woman next to him to bait him into revealing all of his emotions to her.

There was silence between them until they reached her room, their footsteps silent on the thick pile carpet. When they reached her room, Relena withdrew her key from her little purse and unlocked and opened the door. Before Heero could leave, she grabbed a hold of the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him inside, shutting the door firmly behind him. The light switch clicked on and her sitting room was awash with light.

"Okay, spill," she demanded once she turned to face her friend, her small fists resting on her hips expectantly, her eyes searching his for answers. "Did you tell him how you've searched for him?"

Heero gave a short nod, his face a mask of no emotion.

"That you love him?"

Another nod.

"And?" She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing letting him know she was out to get answers.

"He told me what he wants," Heero replied rather reluctantly. "He doesn't think I can give it to him, so he wants me to think about it"

"What things?" Relena's brows drew together in thought.

"He wants love, commitment, a home, and..." He paused, looking confused.

"And?"

Looking down into the eyes of the girl who had become a good friend over the course of the three years he'd searched for Duo, he saw a soft gaze of compassion in her blue eyes as she looked back at him, and slowly his resolve to keep everything to himself dissolved. "And that I not be ashamed of our relationship in public. He told me that, if I could give him those things, then all that was left for me to do was to win him," he answered quietly, them moving over to the couch in front of the marble fireplace, he sat down dejectedly.

"Win him?" Relena repeated with surprise.

"That's what he said." Heero sighed deeply. "Though I haven't a clue as to what that means."

"Oh, Heero." Relena chuckled and ignored the frown directed at her. "He wants you to court him," she answered his confusion.

"Guys don't "court" other guys."

"Of course they do. Do you mean to say you never took Duo out on a date?"

Heero shook his head.

Relena's eyes widened in shock. "Buy him presents?"

Another no.

"And he was your lover?" she asked, her voice rose slightly in disbelief.

Heero frowned, not liking the incredulous tone in Relena's voice.

"Oh, Heero," she said sadly. "Now I begin to understand why he ran."

"What do you mean?" he demanded while looking hurt.

"Whose idea was it to keep your relationship a secret?" she asked, knowing from their previous conversations that only the other three pilots knew the two had been together as a couple.

"Mine." Heero answered a bit sharply. "It was no ones business but ours." He recognized the tone of defensiveness in his voice and hated it. He didn't need to justify himself to anyone but Duo.

"Oh, Heero."

"Stop that!" he snapped at her in irritation. Her tone with each consecutive "Oh, Heero" clearly voiced her growing disappointment in him.

"It's not my fault," she snapped back. "You most likely made Duo feel insecure and used, then probably fueled those insecurities when you didn't have a place for him after the war. Can't you see why he ran? He felt the door shut firmly behind him on his way out."

Heero crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head. He never could stand to be told he was wrong, even if he was dead wrong. "I didn't understand then," he grouched.

Relena began to pace back and forth in front of him, her fingers rubbing up and down her delicate jaw line as she thought. "Not all is lost though, is it?" she asked brightening a bit. "I can help you, but we have to be very careful about Marcus. He definitely has his sights on Duo and from what I hear from the gossip mongers he rarely ever falls short of getting something or someone he really wants."

"Well he will this time," Heero replied, his tone firm and sounding much more confident than he really felt.

"That's the spirit." Relena smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. "Lets do some planning, shall we?"

Then suddenly, the pretty young woman's smile dimmed and she took on a more thoughtful look as she moved forward and sat down on the couch next to her friend. "Heero," she began, her voice was more subdued. "Is this truly what you want? Can you honestly give Duo what he's asking for, what I suspect he needs? If not, it would be cruel to go after him only to hurt him in the long run if you fail to follow through."

Heero's eyes rose to meet her, looking strangely sad. "I will do whatever it takes, Relena," he said in a humble tone she'd heard only a few times before, and always when Heero spoke of his lost lover. Heero closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, she saw the raw need and vulnerable side of her strong, stoic and competent bodyguard and friend. "I've been half a man these past three years, on the cusp of living but not able to without the one person I needed above all else. I need him, Relena, to make me whole."

"Those words are exactly the ones you need to say to him, Heero." Relena brushed aside the tear that was about to escape her eye, touched at the honest emotions coming from her best friend. "Your feelings for Duo are beautiful and will melt his heart," she said truthfully, as they had caused her own heart to feel mushy. She felt a stab of emotion she hadn't felt in a long while...envy. That Heero loved Duo so completely made her feel sad at the lack of that passion in her own rather lonely life. Her attention was brought back to Heero when he sighed.

"What if I end up losing him? What if he no longer wants me or rejects my efforts?" he asked dejectedly.

Relena blinked, surprised to hear Heero sound so insecure. She thought for a moment before answering. When she did, it came in the form of a question.

"Did you kiss him tonight?"

Heero nodded, not looking up at her.

"Did he kiss back?"

This time he did raise his eyes up as he nodded yes, a faint smile appearing at the warm memory.

"Then he still wants you, Heero. He's just as afraid of being hurt or rejected as you are. He needs to learn to trust you again," she told him. Now it became clear to the young woman, it made sense. Duo was being cautious, testing Heero's desire for him. If he didn't want the long-haired young man, Heero would never try to fulfill Duo's needs.

"What do I do to win him, win his trust?" Heero asked his confidant.

Relena smiled knowingly at him. "One step at a time." A plan was already forming in her head.

"They're still in transit," she mumbled to herself as she stood from the couch and moved to the table against the back wall. She picked up the phone and thought for a moment as if trying to remember a number. Then with a quick smile she punched in the numbers. Without an explanation, she gave a reassuring smile to the worried looking young man whose eyes had followed her every move with curiosity.

The phone on the other end of the line was answered. "Good evening, Spencer. This is Relena. I apologize to be calling so late" She paused a moment, listening. "Yes, we had a delightful evening and quite a surprising one too. Yes." She nodded her head in agreement. "Miss May has grown up to be a beautiful young woman." She nodded again as the person on the other side continued to speak. "Yes, we all found Maximilian equally wonderful. Which is the reason why I'm calling so late. I wanted to invite him to join us for an excursion tomorrow but he didn't tell me if he has a personal number or not. He does?"

Relena turned to open a drawer and pulled out a small note pad and pen from it and jotted down the information, turning briefly to wink at Heero as she straightened.

"Thank you so much Spencer. I appreciate your help." There was a brief pause. "Yes, they're on their way home. Very well. Yes, and thank you again. Good night." She ended the phone call and hung the elegant, pearlite phone back in place.

Returning to Heero's side, she held out the piece of paper. "Here's Duo's personal number. First thing in the morning I want you to call him up and ask him out on a date."

Heero nodded. "Where will I take him?" he asked, clearly entering uncharted territory.

"Well," Relena began, her eyes shifted to the ceiling as she thought. "A good first date is usually something public and fun." Then suddenly she brightened as an idea came to her. "How about the swim park that opened up last year? The weather has been unusually warm and he hasn't been there yet."

Heero's reaction to the suggestion was to frown. "Don't you think we're a little too old for an amusement like that?"

Relena gave him an affronted look. "No way. I've been dying for someone to take me there," she replied.

"Really?" Heero was surprised. Together they'd been to an untold number of museums, traveled over most of the Earth and colonies and seen the many wonders of the world while performing her diplomatic duties. They'd attended countless balls, banquets and social functions with guests both political and from the entertainment industry. It came as a total surprise to him that Relena had a desire to do something so...young. "Then you should go with us. That is if Duo agrees to go." 

Relena waved a dismissive hand at the idea. "No, everyone knows three's a crowd."

"Then let's find you a date," he suggested with a slight smile forming.

Relena looked at him in shock, aghast at the very idea. "If you haven't noticed Heero, there aren't exactly hoards of men beating down my door to date me." She reminded him. "Besides, ladies don't set themselves up on dates. I tried that once and it failed...miserably."

"When?" Heero asked, going over in his mind the many events that had occurred since he became her bodyguard, trying to pick out exactly the moment she was talking about.

"Great!" she threw up her hands in exasperation. "Nice to know that poor attempt was entirely forgotten."

Heero looked confused.

"You, you idiot." She shoved at his arm. "I chased you and made it look like we were an item, only to find out you're not only in love with someone else, but that it was a guy. How much more of a disastrous first attempt can you get?"

He could see by the pout on her face that she was no longer hurt by the rejection she had felt at the time she was speaking of, but that she was teasing him. "Oh yeah, sorry," he replied with a half smile.

"Don't be." She laughed lightly. "It was a good lesson for me to learn, and look at us now, the best of friends." She leaned her head against his strong shoulder as she looped her arm with his. "I wouldn't trade that for all the world." She sighed contentedly.

Heero leaned his head against hers. They were the best of friends, he thought. He then frowned as a new thought came to him. "Which is why you don't have a hoard of guys lined up to date you." 

"Why?" she pulled back in order to look up questioningly at him.

"Because we look like a couple. I'm always by your side in public and at home," he replied.

She looked at her friend, studying him. "You are pretty daunting," she surmised with a smile creeping upward.

"Part of my charm," he replied with a slight smirk. A moment later they both broke out into laughter. 

Relena collapsed back onto the couch, her light laughter following her. "Oh Heero." She looked at him with eyes soft and warm. "I do love you, you know. You've been my friend and family these past three years and I can never express how much that has meant to me."

Heero's smile slowly grew at her words. "I feel love for you also," he confessed with a blush, his words came out slow and careful as he spoke them. He then added as a precaution, "As a friend." 

"I know." She reassured him with those words that she wasn't going to revert into the stalker she'd been during the war and laughed as a look of relief shown on his face.

"So I guess we not only have to mend your love life, but also the lack of mine," she said with a conspiring gleam in her eyes.

Heero moved to sit at the edge of his seat and gave her is full attention. "How?"

"You openly display your intentions towards Duo thereby letting everyone know we're not together. Killing two birds with one stone," she said looking very pleased with herself.

"This isn't going to be easy for me," Heero cautioned. He'd always been a private person. Being open with his feelings was not only difficult, but against his nature and former training as a soldier.

Relena placed her delicate hand on his knee. "I know," she said with sympathy. "But Duo needs you to not be ashamed of your feelings for him. Can you do this for Duo as well as for yourself?" she questioned.

"I'll have to," he replied solemnly. "I need him too badly to let him go."

Relena smiled and vowed to herself to help Heero in anyway she could to win Duo back and be truly happy. "Would this date be easier for you as a double date?" she asked.

Heero nodded, feeling nervous about the whole idea of dating and being affectionate in public. He knew that in private, one on one with Duo, he had no such inhibitions, but the idea of revealing to others, friends and strangers, his deep feelings for the beautiful young man from L-2 un-nerved him.

"Then set me up with someone and I'll go along."

Heero smiled at her generous offer.

"Just don't make it Howard or Old Whitecastle, or..." she named off several other unstable, unacceptable and unsavory older men.

"Don't worry." Heero teasingly put his hand over her mouth and smiled at her humor. "I'll think of someone suitable."

TBC

  
  



	8. part 8

Warnings and Disclaimer on first page of story

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 8

As he returned to his room, Heero checked his watch to see that it was just after midnight. The piece of paper with Duo's cell number was held firmly in his hand. He stared at it in disbelief. He'd spent three years desperately wanting, no, needing to contact Duo, and now he had the means to do so. He felt the familiar twinge of fear tighten his chest, a feeling that usually accompanied the other overwhelming feelings he felt for the long-haired gundam pilot. He'd tried to shove those emotions deep inside himself during the war, seeing it as a danger and a detriment to his mission. Along with his never spoken love for Duo, he also silently bore the fear of rejection of those feelings should Duo discover how deeply he felt. He knew he loved Duo profoundly, and in doing so, risked the chance of hurting Duo or of being hurt by him. The fear of loving and the fear of losing went hand in hand with him where Duo was concerned. Now added to those fears of the past was the added anxiety of taking a first step all over again in order to win his former lover back.

He reflected on his first response to the long haired teenager's flirting years earlier at the beginning of the war. It was after a battle and they were in the first of many dorm rooms they would share. The battle had been a success and the adrenaline was flowing through both their bodies, giving them both excess energy to burn off. 

Duo had stripped down to his boxers in preparation for bed, and unfastened his glorious mane of hair and, leaning his head back, shook out the plait of wondrous hair. Heero remembered the creamy, smooth column of neck displayed, the trim body that held not an ounce of fat but of trim muscles just under the pale skin. He remembered clenching his fists, willing himself not to reach out and touch the beauty that stood before him. But when Duo lowered his chin, their eyes, each displaying their normally hidden desires and passion for the other, met and locked. Putting his hands on his hips, the violet-eyed vixen lowered his eyelids halfway, and with his hair free and flowing around him like a virgin's veil, he said in a deep, bedroom voice. "So Heero, what would you like to do tonight?" Just a simple, everyday question really, but the tone of voice and the body language proved too much for even the teenager who had been trained to be the perfect soldier. It hadn't been lost of the pilot of Wing that for the couple of weeks they'd been partnered together, Duo had been subtly giving slight physical and verbal hints that he felt more than just friendship towards him and, even though he had argued relentlessly with himself that he and Duo were too opposite in personalities to have a satisfying relationship, he found himself drawn like a moth to a brilliant, hot and devouring flame.

Taking the few steps forward to stand in front of the male version of a siren, Heero more than invaded Duo's personal space by standing with only a fraction of an inch between them. He licked his lips as he gazed at the forbidden fruit that was Duo's lips. "I have an idea, if you're sure you're up to it," he replied in an equally sensual voice and saw Duo's slim body shiver in response. The long-haired boy from L-2 then gave a knowing smile that assured Heero that Duo knew exactly what he had in mind.

Duo make the next move as he slowly reached out with his right hand to gently touch Heero's left hand and moved it down the sleeve of his t-shirt until their hands met. Taking Heero's hand in his own, the long-haired boy turned the Japanese boy's pl hand and placed against his boxer covered erection. "Yeah, I'm definitely up to it," he replied in a sultry voice.

Heero remembered crushing his lips to Duo's, and knowing Duo knew of his inexperience, he let the long haired pilot guide him, teaching him how to kiss properly. They spent a good ten minutes standing in the same spot, pressed together as they perfected the dance of lips and tongues before Heero growled deep in his throat and picked up Duo's legs, leading him to wrap them around his waist as he carried him to his bed. 

It was the first time either of them had engaged in sex with a male, and though it was not as gentle or performed as smoothly as it could have been had they been more knowledgeable, Heero always remembered it fondly as one of the few bright, illuminating moments of the war.

Remembering that night and feeling aroused by the memory, it spurred his next action. He walked to the bedside table and picked up the phone. Placing the piece of paper on top of the table, he carefully dialed the numbers, memorizing them for future use.

The line was busy. He looked at the receiver questioningly. Who could he be talking to this late at night? Heero's eyes drew down to a narrow, angry slant. "Marcus," he growled out. He sat on his bed to think of a strategy, then looked at the phone again. Well, his position as Relena's bodyguard did carry some privileges, he thought. He promptly hit the flash button and dialed the operator.

  
  


Duo ran into his bedroom, having heard his phone ring. "Hello!" He answered it in a rushed voice.

"Max?" The smooth voice on the other end clearly identified the caller.

"Hi Marcus," Duo replied, slipping off his shoes and undoing his tie while he held the phone to his ear by resting it between his shoulder and head.

"So how is it being back?" Marcus asked in a casual manner.

"Kinda weird," Duo answered, shucking off his jacket and tossing it onto the bed. He then flopped backwards onto the down comforter, the phone still at his ear. "I mean, I was really nervous seeing my old friends as they were the reason I left in the first place." Three years ago, he had told the older boy, as they attempted horseback riding, of his hurt resulting from rejection by his closest friends, so he felt comfortable speaking to him of the subject now. He laughed suddenly into the mouth piece. "The look on their faces was priceless. Wish I had a camera."

"Where'd you disappear to with that bodyguard of Relena's?" Marcus asked, his manner still easy.

"That's Heero," Duo said, a definite change in his voice. "Umm..." he paused for a moment thinking about what he should say to the person on the other end of the line. He didn't know Marcus very well, but they had exchanges letters and the older boy, now a man, had always been upbeat and humorous. "He and I have some issues to resolve."

"Issues?"

"Yeah."

"Were you two involved?"

"Yeah."

"Is it over?"

Duo paused. "I'm not sure. Things are pretty unsettled and in his court at the moment."

A long pause came from the other side of the phone. "Do I have any chance?" Marcus asked in his deep voice.

"I...I don't know Marcus. I was pretty much head over heels for him. I'd be lying if I said just the sight of him didn't affect me tonight."

Duo touched his lips with his free hand, remembering the electrifying kiss. It had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done, turning Heero down, especially when he'd gone weak in the knees at the feeling of Heero's lips against his, and the feel of his strong, hard body pressed against his own.

"Tell you what," Marcus suddenly sounded brighter. "Why don't you give me a chance? A couple of dates with no pressure. Just to see if we can get along."

"I don't want to lead you on," Duo replied hesitantly while lifting his hand to comb it though his loose hair.

"How can you lead me on?" Marcus asked. "You've been up front with me about Nero."

"Heero," Duo corrected.

"That's right," the other chuckled. "You can't lead me on when I've been told the situation. All I'm asking for is a chance. If nothing else, I could be someone to give you a choice, a chance to see if the bodyguard is really the guy for you. You might see something in me you like better."

Duo sighed.

"Please Max. I don't usually beg for a date, but I feel you're worth it. Hell, I've been waiting nearly three years for that date."

"Waiting?" Duo asked dubiously with a wry grin on his face. "Don't tell me you held your breath and went dateless waiting for my return."

Marcus barked out a laugh. "No, I can't say I have. But then I doubt you and Zero have been dateless either."

"Heero," Duo corrected Marcus once again, then there was silence.

"You didn't?" the older of the two asked in surprise. 

"It's not like there was a lot to pick from on Mars," Duo answered a bit defensively. "Besides, my studies took up most of my free time. That and work on the terra forming project left little time open, not to mention there wasn't exactly any fun place to hang out."

"All work and no play, huh?" Humor was heard across the phone line. "How about I remedy that, starting tomorrow morning?"

"What do you have in mind?" Duo asked a bit nervously, which the other detected easily.

"Tennis. My house at nine, followed by brunch."

"I'm not very experienced at playing tennis," Duo replied tentatively.

"Then I'll be your coach. Come on Max, it'll be fun."

Duo paused, then thought, why not. "Alright." he answered just as he heard a click on the line.

"This is the Sanq Communications Operator with an emergency call for Mr. Duo Peacecraft from the Sanq Palace."

"What?" Duo asked in alarm and sat upright on his bed.

"Please terminate your present call and I'll put the emergency call through," the operator instructed in a cool, almost mechanical sounding voice.

"Gotta go Marcus," he told the other as his heart began to race at the possibilities behind such a call.

"Alright," the other answered. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye." Duo clicked off the phone in a hurry and waited approximately ten seconds before it rang again.

"Hello!" he answered anxiously.

"Duo?" Heero's voice carried well over the line.

"What's wrong Heero? Is everyone alright?" Duo asked in a rushed and worried voice, fearful that someone had been in an accident on their way home from the party.

"Everyone is fine," the voice on the other end of the line replied calmly.

Duo frowned, puzzled at the call. "Then what the hell is the emergency?" he asked, feeling exasperated.

"I needed to talk to you and your phone was busy," Heero answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

The former Deathscythe pilot paused, took the receiver away from his ear to look at it in disbelief, then replaced it next to his ear. "Heero?" he questioned.

"I wanted to see if you would go out with me tomorrow afternoon."

A look of utter shock was on the young man's face. "You had the operator place an emergency call for you in order to ask me out?" His voice sounded slightly incredulous.

There was a pause before Heero answered with a simple "Yes." Then after a moment he continued. "I thought it important enough for such an action."

"Heero, I'm...surprised and...flattered," Duo managed to stammer out.

"Enough to say yes to my invitation?"

Duo wondered if there wasn't more than just a hint of hope in his former lover's voice. "I guess that depends on what you've got planned. Care to tell me?" he teased as he lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, picturing Heero in his room at the palace talking to him. In his mind he envisioned that the handsome Japanese man would still be in his suit, in a state of half undress, as he himself was, and clutching the phone maybe as tightly as he did.

"I thought we could double date with Relena and go to the water park. It was completed after you left and I'm told it's rather...entertaining."

Duo's eyes opened. "A water park, with Relena?" He wondered if wonders would ever cease. He never pictured the Sanq Princess, former Queen of the World, and a place like a water park ever being acquainted.

"Actually, she suggested it," Heero confessed. "She said a first date should be something public, making it more comfortable for the two people getting to know each other."

"She knows about us?" Duo asked, not sure how many more surprises he could handle in one conversation.

"I told her shortly after you disappeared. She had said something about you that needed to be corrected, so I told her. I also felt the need to explain my despondency and dedication to following up leads as to your whereabouts. You virtually left no trail behind," he said, sounding slightly accusing.

"That was the plan, Heero," Duo replied in a dry tone of voice even as the thrilling sensation filled him when hearing of Heero's admission and search. Maybe he did care for him more than he'd ever let on, verbally at least. Physically, Heero had proved over and over that he had wanted him. Suddenly Marcus' words came back to him.

"Heero? Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?"

There was only a moment's pause before Heero replied. "Go ahead."

"Were you involved with anyone while I was gone?" he questioned, not sure he was really ready for the answer.

"No."

"Why?" Duo couldn't manage to keep the sound of surprise out of his voice. Heero was wickedly gorgeous and as virile as they came. He couldn't imagine him abstaining for three years.

"Were you?" Heero asked, avoiding the question.

After a short pause, Duo answered. "No."

"Why not?"

Silence hung between them on the phone, a slow smile crept up on the faces of both at the hope that sprung from the other's revelation. The silence more or less answered the questions.

"So, is this your first date?" Duo asked, knowing he and Heero had never been on an official one before.

"Yes. That is if you accept." Heero sounded slightly unsure.

A sigh came from Duo's side of the line. "Guess we should maybe have started off this way instead of jumping into bed with each other in that dorm room," Duo said in a tone of regret. "Maybe we could have avoided a lot of heartache that way."

"I have no regrets, Duo," Heero said in all seriousness. How could he ever regret a moment of the time he'd spent with the only person during the war who could penetrate his training. A smile came to his face as he continued. "And it wasn't always a bed," he said with a snort of laughter. "I remember quite well your pilot's chair in Deathscythe."

A devilish smile crossed Duo's lips as the memory sprang to mind, along with one of his body parts. "Are you remembering that time after the wild battle with those Leos?" Duo chuckled. "Man we were so adrenaline charged from that victory. I remember you almost fell out of Wing in your rush to get to my gundam."

"I thought you were injured." Heero also remembered the moment clearly. "And I was livid that you'd taken such a chance in that battle."

Duo's laughter sounded throughout his bedroom. "When the cockpit door opened, I didn't know if you were going to kill me or just throttle the daylights outta me. But I was more than pleasantly surprise and shocked out of my socks when you kissed me instead. Well," he drawled, "you actually shocked me out of more than my socks."

A few moments passed in silence as both of them thought of the warm memory of their lips desperately devouring, hands frantically removing each other's clothing, and the two falling into the pilot's chair to share yet another of their many intimate trysts.

"I'll do it right this time, Duo," Heero said, his voice deep and conveying his honest intent.

"Alright," the long haired young man answered softly, causing Heero's heart to soar with hope and happiness. "What time tomorrow?"

"Noon?"

"Perfect," Duo's voice purred and his smile could be heard through the phone line.

"I'll pick you up."

"Alright. I guess I'll see you at noon then."

There was an awkward pause, neither of them quite knowing how to end the call.

"Thank you, Duo." Heero said quietly.

"You're welcome. Sleep well, Heero."

"I think for the first time since the night you left that I will," Heero confessed, and then quietly added, "I love you."

"Good night, Heero." Duo replied softly, hugging the phone to himself.

"Goodnight."

The phone receiver slowly came down from Duo's ear and unconsciously he held it to his chest. His heart was beating quickly and the smile on his face wouldn't go away at the revelations the phone call had brought. Heero had not only searched for him, but he'd waited for him. Despite three years of trying to put the former Wing pilot behind him, he recognized the strong stirring of love rising in his heart. His smile slowly began to slip. "Go slow," he cautioned himself. With a deep sigh he reaffirmed his original strategy of being cautious, to wait and see what if anything developed between Heero and himself before giving up or giving in, though, he thought with his smile returning, the evening had been promising.

He sat up abruptly at a familiar sounding knock on his door.

"Come in," he called out as he moved to replace the phone on its jack. When he turned back, he saw his adopted father and friend enter his room and shut his door.

"Hi." He greeted him with a welcoming smile, not surprised at Milliardo's presence. He and Lucretia took their parenting role seriously and made it a habit of talking to their two adopted children each night before bed. There was no doubt in his mind that his adopted mother was helping May to bed and listening to the young girl talk animatedly about the evening.

"Did you enjoy the party, Max? The tall blond asked as he moved to pick up the discarded clothing and put them away in the open closet. He had shed his suit jacket and tie also. The cuffs of his deep blue dress shirt were rolled up and the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

"It was great to see the guys again," Duo said with a smile. "They looked good, didn't they? And Trowa and Quatre blend so well together. I'm glad they made it official." Duo's tone of voice told the tall blond that he was sincere. "And Wufei," he continued. "I think he's found his niche with the Preventers. He seems...content."

Milliardo smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes, they all looked well and happy. And what of Heero? Where did the two of you go?" he asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Out to the gazebo. Guess we needed to clear the air," Duo replied with a casual shrug and began to unbutton the cuffs of his sleeves.

"Do you mind if I ask how things stand?" Milliardo asked as he settled further on the bed.

"He missed me." A dreamy smile unconsciously crossed Duo's face. "He searched for me and didn't even date anyone else."

"That's what Relena told me," Milliardo commented still looking concerned. "Evidently he's been a good friend to her and confessed his feelings for you to her shortly after you left."

"He says he loves me," Duo said abruptly.

"How do you feel, Max?"

"I'm...happy and kind of scared at the same time, Mil. I've always loved Heero, but I don't want to be hurt again."

The older man nodded, understanding the fears that accompanied being in love. He held back from saying anything until Duo specifically asked for his advice.

"He just called and asked me out on a date. Heero says he wants to do it right this time." A smile grew on his handsome face. "I told him earlier, in the gazebo, that I needed things from him before I could go consider having any kind of relationship with him."

Milliardo raised a questioning eyebrow and Duo continued. "I told him I wanted to love and be loved without embarrassment. That I needed commitment, a home and stability, though I think I left out the part about the white picket fence and a dog." He shared a laugh with the blond. "I then told him to think about it and, if he could give me those things, all he needed to do was to win me." His smile broadened with the realization of what Heero's latest actions meant. "Then he placed an emergency call to break into the conversation I was having with Marcus and asked me out. Our first date is tomorrow."

It was obvious to the slightly older man that Duo was excited and well pleased with Heero's actions.

"What about Marcus?" he asked.

"I'm playing tennis with him tomorrow morning. But I did tell him how things stand with Heero," he added.

"He's not one who likes to lose," Milliardo warned, having watched the next door neighbor grow up. "He's tenacious and stubborn when he sets his sights on something, and he's definitely set his sights on you."

"I won't lead him on," Duo promised as he reached back and started braiding his hair. "He's a nice guy, but Heero's a hard act to follow."

"Max." The blond man stood from the bed and went to stand in front of his son as he fastened off the end of his braid. He gazed down with genuine affection for the young man you had shared the last three years of his life with him. "Are you sure this is the direction you want to take your life?" he asked as the blue eyes studied the young man in front of him. "You told me you were also attracted to girls. Are you sure you don't want to pursue a more conventional relationship? You could marry and have children one day. Life would be so much less complicated for you with that kind of relationship. Living life as a gay couple isn't an easy life."

Duo smiled, albeit a bit weakly. "I can't help who I fell in love with, Mil," he answered. "Yes," he sighed and flipped his short braid over his shoulder. "I've always been attracted to girls, but Heero..." He sighed again. "There's just no explanation for what he makes me feel: love, lust, need, desire, possessiveness, longing, happiness, pain, heartbreak, and yearning. Damn," he swore, a frown on his face. "I've got it so bad that even after three years of trying to put him behind me, I've only to spend a few minutes with him and I'm back where I started."

"This could be your time to really decide what you want, Max. Lu and I won't tell you what to do, but we want to make you aware of all the many options open to you so that you can make a sound decision regarding you life. Given all the possible alternatives, it might be easier to come to the decision that will make you happy in the long run," Milliardo said, hoping in some way to help the young man who had come to mean so much to he and his wife. They both wanted, and would help in any way, for their Max to find his way to happiness.

Duo sat on his bed and looked up to his good friend through his long bangs. "I appreciate it, Mil, but I'm not sure there are options for me where my heart is concerned. Believe me, I tried very hard to not love Heero, but so far that effort has only brought me a lot of pain. But Mil," His blue-violet eyes turned up and focused the other's concerned face. "He's changed. He wants me enough to try and meet my needs, and I have to wonder if anyone other than a gundam pilot could ever understand our past and the nightmares and complexities of our personalities?"

"Just be careful." The blond sat on the bed next to him and cautioned him with all seriousness. "Use your best judgement. I've always found that when it comes to love, you must use your head as well as your heart to make the necessary and correct decisions. The lower regions of your body should only get a small portion of the vote."

Duo laughed. "Yeah, if I had let my libido make my decisions I probably would never have gotten out of bed to fight in the war."

As the two sat in companionable silence for a moment, a new issue came to the chestnut-haired young man. "Mil, will me being partnered to a male lover have any negative consequences to you and Lu?" His eyebrows drew together in worry. "Would I shame you and the name you've given me?"

Milliardo Peacecraft looked momentarily stunned as he stood and faced the young man looking up at him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Never for a second would we feel ashamed of you, Max. Lu and I have both seen your worth and are proud to have you in our family. All we want is your happiness. If Heero is your ultimate choice, than we will give you our blessing. But I would remind you of proper decorum. The press and photographers are ever watchful of any mistake we might make, a faux pas is instant headline news. A same-sex relationship might be more accepted by the public if it's not flaunted in the tabloids or shoved down people's throats."

Duo nodded. "Be circumspect," he said.

Milliardo smiled warmly at the younger man. "Yes, but most importantly, follow your heart, Max, but guard it well," he advised.

"I will," Duo assured him with a returning smile. 

His adopted father pulled him in for a quick hug. "Goodnight, Max." He stepped back and turned to leave.

"See you in the morning," Duo called out and watched the tall blond leave. Then, in a contemplative state, running over the many conversations he'd had that night and the feelings within his heart and head, he readied himself for bed. Soon after, he lay in the unfamiliar and dark room, his beating heart sounded loud in his ears, the only audible sound as he forced himself to try and rest, anxious for morning to come.

TBC


	9. part 9

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Warnings and Disclaimers on first page of story

Part 9

"Good morning, Layton," Marcus's cheery voice declared to the servant who opened the double wide front door of the Peacecraft household the next morning at five minutes to nine.

"Good morning, Mr. Standish," returned the most proper of silver-haired butlers as he stiffly opened the way for the young gentleman to enter the Peacecraft residence.

"I'm here to collect Max." The confident, sandy haired neighbor stated his business in a pleasant tone of voice and an easy-going manner.

"Master Maximilian will be down shortly if you'd care to take a seat." The butler motioned with a wave of his hand to a sitting room adjacent to the grand foyer.

"No need." Duo's voice echoed slightly through the grand entry as he raced down the ornate stairway dressed in light grey, mid-thigh exercise shorts, a white tee-shirt and tennis shoes. "Sorry I'm late, Marcus." He smiled apologetically as his eyes took in the handsome man smiling at him. Duo appreciated that the sandy haired and dimple cheeked man looked good in his white tennis shorts and shirt. With a shrug he then went on to explain. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."

"I hope it was due to your eagerly anticipating this morning?" Marcus replied with a crafty smile on his handsome face.

Duo laughed. "You wish," he teased back. "It's just exciting being back, and it also takes a while for me to get comfortable in a new room."

"Well then, if you're ready, let me re-introduce you to the game of tennis and the old earth tradition of brunch."

"I'm ready." Duo smiled, Marcus could really be quite charming, he thought. "But I need to be back here by eleven thirty."

Marcus frowned, clearly disappointed. "I had hoped we could spend the day together."

"I'm sorry." Duo gave him a small, apologetic grin. "I've got another engagement at noon."

"With Lero?"

Now Duo frowned. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, with H-E-E-R-O." He spelled the letters of Heero's name out pointedly, letting Marcus see he wasn't amused at the deliberate mispronunciation.

"Then we had better get going," Marcus said as he turned to walk out the front door. 

Duo followed, almost reluctantly. After his talk with Marcus the night before, he was surprised to find him so antagonistic at the idea of him going out with his former lover. Picking up the pace, Duo caught up to the taller man as he reached the driveway. "Marcus, wait." He halted his friend in mid stride by taking a firm hold of his arm. "Look," he looked up into the other's frowning face, "I thought you were cool about things. I didn't lie about my feelings for Heero. Why are you acting this way?"

Taking a deep breath, the older of the two let it out slowly and looked skyward. "Just because I understand your wanting to see this guy, doesn't mean I have to like it."

Duo studied the handsome face that was filled with disappointment. Marcus had been kind to him, and had been honest when he stated his intentions of pursuing him. "If this is uncomfortable for you, maybe we shouldn't see each other, even as friends," he suggested.

"No." Marcus turned and grabbed the smaller young man by the shoulders, his grip uncomfortably firm. "I'm not giving up on you just because of a bit of competition."

"Heero's more than a bit of competition, Marcus," Duo said in all seriousness. "He's important to me, I just haven't figured how important yet."

"Yeah, important enough for you to run away from him for three years."

Not liking where the conversation was going, Duo moved to step back but found himself firmly held in place by the large hands still on his shoulders. 

"Am I important to you, Max?" Marcus's voice was deep and sultry.

"Listen Marcus," Duo began. "You have been a good friend to me, especially when I needed one. You are important enough to me that I don't want to hurt you."

"I could be more to you, Max. "

Before Duo could react, his mouth was captured by the taller man's lips. It wasn't an unpleasant kiss, but Duo noted in the brief time that it lasted his own lack of a physical reaction to it. Putting pressure on the taller man's shoulder, he pushed him back, ending the kiss.

"You shouldn't have done that Marcus," Duo said, stepping back to put some distance between them. "There could be someone around with a camera and it might cause a scandal."

"Scandal?" Marcus laughed. "That's the spice of life, Max," he declared with a broad, almost nefarious smile that more than backed up his belief in the statement.

"Not if you carry the Peacecraft name," Duo told him, not seeing the humor that Marcus obviously did from the idea of scandalizing his name.

"Okay." Seeing the smaller young man was serious, Marcus put both hands up in concession and laughed lightly. "I'll be good. Let's go to my place and play some tennis."

"Promise you'll behave?" Duo looked skeptical.

"Cross my heart." Marcus made a dramatic, exaggerated motion over his chest.

Duo couldn't help but smile, his friend's antics were similar to what he might have done. "Alright you ham, let's go."

The morning progressed as Marcus had outlined and he did manage to stay on his best behavior throughout the tennis lesson and then at brunch, only slipping when he kept his leg brushed up against Duo's and when he grabbed hold his hand that had some cream cheese on it from off of the side of his bagel. Despite the tug to free his hand and the frown of displeasure, he quickly brought the fingers it to his mouth and sucked the creamy soft cheese off in a very suggestive manner.

Around eleven fifteen, Duo rose from the patio table where they'd had their brunch served by the pool at the back of the large house and thanked his host for the morning. Marcus also stood and offered to see him home.

They left the large patio area and walked to the side of the house and down the garden path towards the front gate when suddenly, while talking easily to each other in casual conversation, a sudden movement found Duo suddenly pushed firmly up against the outside wall of the house. Marcus's forearm was pressed against his sternum, holding him in place while his mouth was thoroughly assaulted by his companion's lips over his own. The taller man's tongue found its way into his mouth and instead of fighting it, Duo decided to let Marcus have his moment, for this would definitely be his last. That thought, however, was fleeting as he felt the intrusion of a large hand being shoved past the elastic waistband of his shorts and shot downward, quickly grabbing hold of his ass. Wrenching his head aside, he broke the kiss and found his voice. "Stop!" he demanded.

Marcus pulled his face back only inches showing his smaller companion a smirking grin, his arm still holding Duo against the house, his other hand still in the back of his pants.

"Get your hand out!" Duo growled, his eyes flashing with ominous anger.

"I could make you forget Herod if you let me," Marcus whispered seductively while squeezing the luscious round globe under his hands.

"I don't want to forget Heero," Duo replied through his gritted teeth and pushed on the upper half of the offensive arm, forcing Marcus's hand out of his pants.

"Heero would seriously maim you if he'd witnessed what you just did," Duo said, his face flushed with anger.

"Then we won't tell him, will we?"

"If you're tying to impress me, Marcus, your miserable failing." Duo moved quickly to gain some distance from the side of the house that suddenly felt too enclosed and more like a trap than a garden walkway.

"Come on Max," the other chided as he followed after him. "You're no virgin. What's wrong with a little fun?"

"For the record," Duo began, his heart pounding in his ears as he reached the front gate and reached his hand up to unlatch it, "I've only been with two people, and I trusted and cared deeply for both of them; I still do. I don't look at sex as a form of recreation. And if that's what you're looking to me for, then we can say goodbye right now." He pulled the gate open and moved to leave only to have Marcus grab his arm, temporarily stopping him.

"I'm sorry, Max," Marcus said looking and sounding appropriately contrite. "I...I'm not used to competing for a relationship and my desire for you makes me do stupid things."

"You're right," Duo snapped, still upset. "What you just pulled was stupid. A few years ago I would have killed you for touching me like that."

Marcus gave his smaller friend a skeptical look. "So what's changed? Why didn't you kill me?" He gave a mocking smile, clearly not believing the smaller young man capable of delivering his threat.

"I got a second chance," Duo answered in a somber tone. "You know nothing about me Marcus. My past is as different from yours as expensive champagne is different from beer made in a basement. Milliardo and Lu gave me a second chance, and now Heero is asking for a second chance and I just might want to give it to him. I'm not going to go bed hopping or engage in any type of behavior that might throw those second chances away."

Marcus took in the smaller man's determined stance and the fierce look on his face. It was clear he was adamant and resolved to his moral stance and any amount of persuasion was not going to change it. "Alright," he said putting his hands up in resignation. "I'm sorry. I was way out of line. I guess I didn't understand. But I thought you were going to at least give me a chance."

"I did," Duo answered looking regretful, "as a friend. The two people I slept with were first proved themselves as my friends, then my lovers."

"And I blew it, right?"

"You could say that."

"And if I beg for another chance at proving I can be your friend? A second chance?" Marcus had a sincere look on his face and an almost pleading tone to his voice that was hard to deny. "You seem to believe in second chances, how about letting me have one?" he added.

Duo looked at the taller man doubtfully. "I don't know. You're actions have spoken more about you than your words."

"Please, I'll be good." Marcus batted his eyes and gave his best version of a puppy-dog look.

"That's not a good look for you, you know that, right?" Duo couldn't help a slight smile.

"Please." Marcus begged.

"If I recall it right, you made me a promise before and failed to keep it," Duo said with his arms folded over his chest. "You even crossed your heart," he reminded him.

"A lapse in reason." Marcus pouted. "I was blinded by your unparalleled beauty."

"Alright, alright," Duo said in exaggerated exasperation. "Damn, but you know how to lay it on thick. But I'm warning you, if you grope me again, I'll not only break your arm, but you won't get another chance at friendship."

Marcus thought the threat by the small, beautiful man was hysterical and he began to laugh heartily. Duo rolled his eyes and led them back towards the path to his own home. "Just to let you know," he said as he looked over his shoulder at Marcus, only to see him staring at his butt. "I do have some other friends and I don't sleep with them, so don't get your hopes up."

"It's not my hopes I want to get up."

"Oh, shut up!"

****

Heero was waiting in the foyer when Duo came down the stairs at five after twelve dressed appropriately in blue knee length, loose-fitting trunks and a white tee-shirt with a picture of a surfer riding a ridiculously huge wave on the back and his hair braided back. Both young men smiled nervously at each other.

Duo's eyes raked over Heero. Without the suit he wore the evening before, covering any hint of his true physical form, he could better see the changes in Heero's body. He was taller than when he'd seen him three years ago, and the yellow tank top revealed broader shoulders and arms obviously toned and strengthened from many hours in a weight room. The warm yellow cotton contrasted beautifully with his bronze and unblemished skin. As his eyes moved southward, the braided young man took in the narrow waist and trim hips covered in black trunks decorated plainly with white stripes down the side seams. The trunks ended mid-thigh and showed off perfectly formed and firmly muscled legs.

"Ready?" Heero's voice brought Duo's eyes back up to the other's face, his cheeks pinking at having been caught openly ogling his former lover's body.

Duo held up his towel. "If this is all I need, then I guess I am," he answered brightly.

The butler, who had been standing next to Heero the entire time the two checked each other out, moved to re-open the door. "Will you be home in time for dinner, Mr. Peacecraft?" he asked in a stiff and formal manner with just a hint of a British accent in his voice, completing the picture of a proper, upper-crust butler.

Duo scratched his head at the question. "Um...I'm not sure. Heero?" He looked to his date to answer.

Heero gave a slightly crooked smile and answered simply, "No."

Duo smiled back then looked at the formally dressed man. "There's your answer, Layton. Could you tell the folks for me?"

The older man gave a slight bow of his head. "I will inform them," he answered, still harboring a stiff upper lip. 

Duo's smile diminished slightly as the gentleman failed to meet his eyes or smile in return. He was the butler on the weekends when Spencer had the day off, and it was obvious he had taken an instant disliking to the newest member of the Peacecraft household. Heero noticed both Layton's and Duo's interaction and reacted by taking Duo's arm and moving him towards the open doorway. "Come on, Duo. The others are waiting."

"Oh, right. I'd forgotten. Sorry," he apologized as they exited the grand house and made their way down the stairs to the circular driveway.

All thoughts of the butler's disapproval disappeared as the braided young man looked at the care in the driveway. "Oh, sweet!" Duo exclaimed as he looked at the sleek, black convertible sports car with its top down and rushed down the stairs to stand next to it.

"I take it that you like my car." Heero smiled knowingly as Duo ran his hand over the high-glossy, black surface.

"It's a beauty," Duo said in awe.

Heero held up the keys. "Want to drive it?"

The braided young man looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head with surprise and disbelief. "You mean it? You'd let me drive, knowing what kind of a driving record I have?"

There was only a moment of hesitation before Heero nodded.

Duo's face softened and a genuine smile graced his handsome face. "You really must love me to make that kind of offer," he told his former lover.

"Hai," Hero said as he stepped forward and bent his head to give Duo the kiss he'd been longing to deliver since he first saw him coming down the staircase. He was more than a little surprised to find Duo's hand on his chest holding him back, bringing a halt to his attempt. He frowned in disappointment.

"Not out in the open, Heero," Duo said, shocking the Japanese young man further. The Duo of old would never have blinked at a kiss in public, in fact he would just have said something along the lines of "Who cares what anyone thinks but us?" 

"Why not? It's never bothered you before?" Heero looked confused.

"Yeah, but you used to hate it." Duo chuckled as he reached out to grip Heero's upper arm. "But Milliardo warned me of the paparazzi, that they're everywhere and I should be circumspect."

The frown on Heero's face lessened as he realized Duo was right. He'd fended off the aggressive reporters and camera men for years from intruding too much into Relena's private life. "It will be hard to prove I'm not ashamed of you or a relationship with you if I'm not allowed to touch you in public," he told the beautiful young man before him.

"I know," the smiling vision replied. "But if there's a will, there's a way."

Heero opened the car door to the driver's seat and held it open, waiting patiently. Duo gave him a warm grin in return. "You drive," he said. "I don't know much about the city streets and after three years, I'm sure to be a menace on the roadway."

"Another time then," Heero suggested.

"Absolutely!" Duo gave an even brighter grin and moved to the passenger side and jumped over the door to land in the passenger seat. 

Heero sat down behind the wheel and put the keys in the ignition. The car purred to life with the briefest touch. He turned to his companion to see the blue-violet eyes sparkle with approval.

Twenty minutes later the black sports car entered the parking lot of the water park. Duo's mouth dropped open at the sight of the enormous slides, easily three stories high. The large tubes carried thousands of gallons of water and squealing, screaming water-sliding maniacs.

"I've always wanted to go to a place like this," Duo said in a tone of awe. "Are we meeting Relena and her date here?" he asked his cheeks flushed from excitement and the warmth of the sun.

"They should be here by now," Heero answered as he pushed the button that triggered the car top to automatically unfold from behind them and rise up to close in the car. Once the top was secured, he turned off the car, reached for the snap-open window protector that was tucked in the area behind the passenger's seat and placed it on his lap. His eyes came up to meet Duo's, who was watching his every move. Popping it open, he placed it over the dash board and brought down the visors to hold it in place. Then taking advantage of the now closed up and secured car he quickly moved to capture Duo's lips.

This kiss was short but satisfying, and left the both of them with a warm, promising smile of better things to come.

"Let's go have some fun," Heero said as he removed the keys from the ignition and opened his door.

Together they walked shoulder to shoulder through the large, half-filled parking lot while Duo carried on the majority of their conversation and Heero took in every word and motion of his companion's hands and face like a starving man being give a plate filled with sumptuous food.

Nearing the entrance, Duo stopped short. "No way!" he exclaimed with a look of delighted disbelief.

Heero knew what he was looking at and smiled along with him. "It made perfect sense to me," he commented on the unspoken question.

Duo's eyes turned to him with amusement dancing within them. "You set Wufei up for a blind date with Relena?"

"I think they're well suited," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone, then put his hand on the middle of Duo's back at his waist and gently directed him forward towards the two waiting at the entrance for them.

Both Relena and Wufei looked slightly relieved at their arrival. Wufei stood looking somewhat confident as well as trim and well toned in plain black swim trunks and green tank top that showed off his caramel-colored skin and sleek muscles to perfection. His hair was pulled back in its usual pony tail and he stood with his arms crossed over his chest with one eyebrow raised. "You're late," he said a tad scornful.

Standing next to him, the slender, golden haired young woman was clothed in a modest, one piece, sky blue colored swimsuit and a matching gossamer floral skirt that tied around her waist. Of course the sandals, large straw purse, hair ribbon and sun glasses were appropriately coordinated. A white visor covered her forehead and her high-placed pony tail fell over the back of it to her shoulders. She appeared to be a regular visitor to the water park; and from her never-seen-in-public hairstyle, glasses and visor, no one would recognize her as the famous Vice Foreign Minister.

"Only by a few minutes," Heero answered Wufei's charge of lateness.

"Hi nephew," Relena smirked mischievously as she teased Duo. "That is just so strange, isn't it?"

"Try calling a former enemy your father, or someone old enough to be your brother and sister your mom and dad," Duo replied with good humor.

"You never cease to amaze me, Maxwell." Wufei said with a look of appreciation on his face. 

Duo put both hands on his hips as he address his friend. "Do you think you could finally manage to call me Max or Duo?" he asked. "I don't go by the name Maxwell any more, though Maximilian was Milliardo's way of helping me keep hold of my past." Some of the braided young man's humor abated as he spoke, displaying the importance of his request.

"I'm sorry." Wufei inclined his head slightly. "Old habits die hard."

"It's alright." Duo perceptively brightened. "But it's getting warm and fun is calling." He nodded towards the park where the sound of rushing water and voices squealing with delight enticed the warm outsider to enter.

"I can't wait." Relena grabbed hold of Wufei's arm as she spoke with a child-like expression of excitement that Heero had never seen before. With the mantle of responsibility and propriety lifted, if even for a few hours, Relena looked like the teenage girl that, because of the circumstance of her birth and war, she never had the chance to be. It looked good on her, he decided and the smile on the faces of his friend and lover showed their agreement.

"Then let's go in." Wufei gave a rare smile to the girl and fished four tickets out of his pocket. "I already purchased our tickets, so we don't have to wait in line." All four heads turned to see the long line of bathing suit clad people waiting to purchase their way into the water park. 

They walked by all those less fortunate people and went to the place of entry, passed through, and made their way half way around the park before they found a suitable piece of lawn to claim as their own. Heero collected their wallets and Relena's smaller purse and rented a locker in which to stash them. He quickly returned at looked at the expectant three. "Ready?"

"Where do we start?" Relena asked, staring wide-eyed at the many tubes carrying water and riders alike.

"That one." Duo pointed to the biggest and tallest set of tubes.

"Since Relena has never been to one of these before," Wufei spoke up, "why don't we work up to that one."

Relena gave him a grateful smile. "We don't have to stay together," she addressed Duo and Heero. "If you want to go on different slides, I don't want to slow you down."

"I think it will be more fun if we stick together, don't you?" Duo asked Heero.

"I agree," Heero smiled back.

"Let's get wet first in the wave pool and see how cold the water is," Relena suggested, her eyes lingering on the large pool that had one foot waves rolling over the surface of the water.

After slathering sun screen on, and happily helping each other with the hard to reach places, the four began their water adventure.

Two hours later they returned to their towels, happiness evident on all their faces.

"The Devil's Dive is the best!" Duo declared, flopping down onto his towel.

The other three picked up their towels and began to dry themselves off. Duo reached back and unfastened his very wet braid and un-wound it. With a shake of his head, the thick mane of wet hair fell loose and free, allowing it to dry faster.

"Let down you hair, Wu." Duo smiled at it friend. "It'll dry faster."

The Chinese Preventer frowned. He didn't usually wear his hair down in public and you didn't get anymore public than this.

Relena reached back and unfastened her pony tail and combed her fingers through to gain some semblance of order. "He's right, you know." She smiled at the Chinese man.

With a sigh of resignation, Wufei gave into their suggestion. He pulled out his hair band and shook his head, letting his silky, shoulder-blade length of ebony hair free. 

Laying down on their damp towels on the grass, the three joined a still very wet Duo, who had reclined on his back with his eyes closed, soaking up the sun with a smile of contentment on his face.

"Hungry?" Heero's warm voice spoke in close proximity to his left side.

"I could eat." Duo's smile widened.

"I'm told they have great hot dogs and nachos here." Relena looked hopeful at the suggested cuisine that she rarely had an opportunity to enjoy.

"I'll go get us something." Heero said and as Wufei began to stand and join him, the Japanese man waved him off. "Stay here. I'm sure the lines are long and it will take a while."

"I'll come in ten minutes then to see if you need a hand. I remember Duo's appetite."

The other long haired young man laughed. "I'm not that voracious an eater anymore guys. Seems that since I quit growing, the need to eat constantly has diminished."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Heero said, and no one missed the lingering look he gave his date.

The three watched him disappear into the crowd going in the direction of the lockers to get his wallet for the snack bar.

A soft sigh was heard from the girl in between the two young men as she put her white visor back on her head to protect her face from the bright sun. "This is wonderful," she said wistfully. She reclined to lay back on her towel but raised herself up onto her elbows so she could continue to survey the fun and play going on all around them.

"I don't do something like this very often," Wufei commented in a reflective tone. "Duo use to drag us out to fun places like this during the war. He said we needed to remember we were kids." He turned his head to look his newly returned friend in the eye. "You were right, Duo. It helped to have some good memories when things got bad."

"Then we should make a pact to do this more often," Duo piped up. "Have fun together, I mean."

"I'd like that." Relena gave them both a dazzling smile. "That is, if I'm included in the 'we'." 

They assured her she was, and it was then that her eyes rested on Wufei a moment longer. His hair was laying straight, glossy and well past his shoulders. "Your hair is beautiful, Wufei. You should wear it down more often," Relena said in a tone that indicated she was impressed.

In a nervous gesture, the young Chinese man self-consciously pushed his hair behind his ear and over the back of his shoulder. "It gets in the way," he replied almost bashfully.

"Still..." Relena's voice softened. "You look really good with it down."

At a chuckling sound behind them, they both turned to glare at Duo, who naturally ignored them. Then suddenly his eyes fixed on something behind his two companions and his smile faltered.

Following his line of sight, the two turned to see Marcus Standish walking towards them with red headed May beside him, both wearing the appropriate swim wear needed for the park.

As they approached, the girl's face broke out into a brilliant smile as she ran ahead to her brother and flopped down beside him on Heero's towel. Marcus followed at a more leisurely pace, as if he had all the time in the world, his eyes focused entirely on Duo.

"What are you doing here?" Duo asked his sister with surprise written on his face.

"Marcus came over to ask father a question and we started talking. I mentioned I was jealous that you were going to this cool water park and he offered to bring me. Wasn't that wonderful of him?" she gushed looking back at the sandy haired man now stepping up beside her with a broad, smug smile on his face.

Duo raised a questioning eyebrow to Marcus. "Very altruistic," he replied in a slight sarcastic tone of voice.

"I had a change of plans for my afternoon and decided to show May a pleasant day," Marcus said with a casual shrug of his shoulders indicating it was no big deal.

"I've been looking for you for the past hour." May pouted prettily. "Where have you been?"

"On the slide, empty head," Duo softly knocked on the younger girl's head, teasing her as he always did. "Why don't you have Marcus take you on a couple. They're really fun."

"Where is Sneero?" Marcus asked looking around for the missing person.

"Heero," Duo over emphasized the name, "is getting lunch for us." His answer came out more like a growl. He was clearly very unhappy about Marcus crashing in on his first date with Heero.

"I'm going to try the wave pool," May said with youthful exuberance. She jumped to her feet and with a wave of her hand, she darted off towards the body of water.

Duo's eyes watched her leave, then looked up at Marcus to find him blatantly staring down at him with a devouring look on his face. Feeling self conscious, he grabbed up Heero's towel and began to dry himself, letting the majority of the towel cover his body.

"You look like a wet dream Max," the taller man said in a low voice.

Duo blushed with embarrassment at his frank talk and obviously lustful stare.

"I'd suggest you try the cold water." Wufei frowned at the man he'd met for the first time the night before and was forming an instant dislike for him.

The standing man turned to glare at the person intruding into his thoughts and conversation. "I don't think I've had the pleasure."

Relena lifted her visor. "Yes, I'm quite sure introductions were made last night," she said looking at the surprised man. He'd obviously not recognized her dressed down. "Chang Wufei," she said with a hand motion towards her Chinese escort. "Remember he's one of Duo's friends? He's one of the Preventer's top agents, Marcus," she added a bit smugly.

The man's eyes widened. "But you're obviously younger than I am," he observed out loud. "How did you gain such an impressive title at your age?"

"Skills and experience," Wufei answered shortly, not wanting to waste his breath conversing with someone he decided to thoroughly dislike.

Marcus turned to Relena. "You sure have surrounded yourself with an unusual and eclectic group of people," he told her.

"Only the best," she answered smiling as she took up both Duo's and Wufei's hands into her own to demonstrate her affection for them.

"Standish." A familiar low voice caused the four to look up to see Heero balancing two trays filled with food and drinks and glaring unhappily at the surprise visitor. His eyes then lowered to meet Duo's. The chestnut haired man rolled his eyes and shrugged, letting Heero know he had nothing to do with the other man being there.

"Are you stalking Duo?" Heero asked as he knelt down and handed the tray of drinks to his date for him to distribute.

"I'm actually here with May," Marcus replied casually and looking out to the wave pool where the young teen was frolicking in the rolling waves.

After placing the tray of food on the ground, Heero sat next to Duo, very close in fact, and put his arm directly behind the long haired man's back, giving the impression of possessiveness, a warning to the other to back off. "I hope you two have a fun time," Heero said looking up at the man still standing in front of them. "But if you'll excuse us, we're about to eat."

Having been publicly dismissed, the tall man was forced to leave, and he did so with a brief goodbye, his eyes lingering on Duo before he turned to leave.

"I need to explain some things to May when I get home," Duo said thoughtfully as he put a straw through the lid of his soda.

"Is that how he knew we were here?" Heero asked as he passed the hot dogs and nachos over to the others.

"I'm sure he tricked the information out of her," Duo replied frowning, clearly unhappy but not willing to blame his innocent sister. "I'm sorry," he added as he focused on unwrapping his hot dog. He stopped suddenly when Heero's hand touched his chin and turned his face so their eyes could meet.

"It's not your fault," Heero said softly. "But I don't like how he looks at you. Be careful around him."

Duo nodded, his eyes softening as he felt his feelings for Heero grow even deeper as his former lover displayed his concern for his welfare without trying to solve the problem for him. That showed trust, and the realization of it filled him with an encompassing warmth.

Heero must have divined his emotions as he gave him a dazzling smile in return.

Duo then sought to reassure Heero, relieve him of any worry. "He's really not that bad," he managed to say. "But you're right, I'll be careful around him." Then remembering the incidents that morning, his smile lessened realizing he needed to do as he promised.

"Then let's forget him," Heero suggested, then took a large bite of his relish and mustard dressed hot dog.

They shared a pleasant lunch with each other then returned to the slides until five o'clock, when they determined they'd had enough sun and fun for one day. Gathering their things, the four walked towards the exit only to meet Marcus and May on their way out.

"I'm taking May home," Marcus said in greeting them as they met up again. "I'd be happy to take Max home to save you the trip, Nero," he offered glibly with an odd grin on his face.

The Japanese man ignored the deliberate mispronunciation of his name and taking hold of Duo's arm answered in strained politeness. "Thank you, but Duo and I have something else planned, so we'll decline your generous offer."

"Oh well, my loss." The sandy haired man shrugged giving the appearance of being unaffected by the refusal of his offer.

"See you at home Max." May stepped up to her brother and kissed him on the cheek.

"See ya kiddo." Duo returned the affectionate kiss and waved the two off. He then turned with a sparkle in his eye to Heero. "So, if the date isn't over, what are we doing next?"

"I was thinking I could show you my place and make you dinner," Heero said with a slight, hopeful smile.

Duo decided he liked that facial expression on Heero...a lot. "I've seen your room before, Heero," he replied with a mischievous grin, remembering the room, specifically the bathroom, from three years ago.

"I meant my house."

Looking surprised, Duo's mouth hung open, but anything he meant to say was cut off by Relena. "Sounds like we're on our own," she told Wufei. The Preventer nodded and offered her his arm, which she readily took.

"I'll see you tomorrow around noon, Heero," Relena told her bodyguard, currently guarding Duo quite well.

"See you soon nephew." She gave a teasing smile to Duo.

"Absolutely. Thank you for suggesting such a great place to visit," he replied, his new manners showing through again.

With the best of feelings, the two couples parted. Heero led Duo back to the car and once inside, he leaned over and kissed the long haired man again, ignoring the stifling heat that had been trapped inside the small space all afternoon.

"I've been wanting to do that all afternoon," Heero whispered against the soft lips touching his. 

"Me too," Duo replied and pulled back to give Heero a warm smile. They gazed into each other's eyes to gage their next move. With a Cheshire Cat grin, Duo sat back in his seat, his eyes never leaving Heero's. "So, you've got a house," he stated. "I never quite pictured you as the domestic type."

"Everyone needs some place to call home, Duo," Heero said as he turned the key and the sports car purred to life. 

Duo pulled down the reflective shades from the dash board and answered quietly, "Yeah, I know."

TBC


	10. part 10

Disclaimer and warnings on first page of story.

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 10

They wove their way through the busy streets of Sanq at rush hour. Stop lights and pedestrians were making their way to their homes and people out for an early meal interrupted any smoothness to their exit from the city. Heero had stopped briefly at a grocery store on the outskirts of the city to pick up a few produce items for dinner, then the fast moving sports car hit the open road leading to the mountains that stood proudly behind the port city like ancient sentinels. The sleek sports car began the steep climb up the hill, accomplishing the deed with ease.

Along the way, Duo proved to be his old, quizzical self in regards to Heero's home and where it was located. Heero proved that he was still very good at being evasive when he didn't want to give anything away. He merely told Duo he wanted it to be a surprise. He did give in to a small degree, and told his companion that he was only able to stay in his home one week out of the month. He lived the other three weeks in the palace, on call twenty-four hours of the day, giving him a full week off once a month.

He went on to tell Duo that when he first started that schedule, he had nowhere else to go, so he stayed in his room and concentrated on his search for his missing friend. But as time wore on, he increasing felt the need to get away and do something for himself. He tried traveling, but soon grew bored of seeing places with no one to share the experience with. Relena had suggested he get a place of his own, take time to build a place of refuge.

"So I started to look around at houses within the city boundaries, but nothing seemed right. I decided that I had enough funds that I could build a custom home anywhere I wanted. So I started looking around at lots. I remembered back, during the war," he glanced at his violet eyed companion, "that you had said you thought you'd like a place where you could go out at night and gaze at the moon and stars and hear nature as it reacted to the dark, so I began to look out of the city limits." Turning his eyes back to look at the road, he allowed himself a satisfied grin at the dumbfounded look he saw on Duo's face. 

"So you...you bought a place in the country because of something I said way back then?" Duo guessed, clearly disbelieving Heero's words.

Heero waited a moment before he nodded. "I found this place on the mountain that had a great view by day, so I came back that night and camped out to see if it was dark enough to see everything in the night sky. It was, and I bought the parcel of scenic property the next day. I did it with the belief that one day you would come back and would give me another chance. And in hoping that you would, I wanted to have a place I could bring you to." He paused to give Duo a reassuring smile. "I figured that the next time I saw you I wouldn't need anyone's permission, except yours, for you to live with me," he added in a soft voice, keeping his hands on the steering wheel and having turned back his eyes to the curvy road as he negotiated another sharp turn, thus missing Duo's reaction.

The braided young man looked in wonder and shock at Heero and drew in his lower lip in an effort to stop the emotions welling up inside of him. He blinked in wonderment; Heero had truly missed him. What his former lover had just said stood as proof of his words the night before and proved that Heero did indeed love him and had made plans for a future together. Despite his best intentions and promises to himself and his family to go slow and guard his heart, planning his future logically, Duo found he couldn't help but give into the swelling emotions within him as he let the love he'd always felt for Heero overflow his senses and good intentions. Leaning over to shorten the distance between them, Duo wrapped his hands around Heero's firm bicept and rested his head on his strong shoulder. Not wanting to move too quickly on his re-emerging emotions and blurting out to Heero how much he loved him, he just quietly rested against his best friend and lover while the music on the car stereo continued to play unnoticed in the background.

The narrow road switch backed all the way up the side of mountain, and when they were nearly to the top, Heero slowed and turned the car into a paved driveway that was marked with simply with red reflector strips on the two posts standing just off the road and on either side of the entrance. The driveway was steep and wove through the trees and natural growth that covered the mountainside. Then, as the last vibrant coral colored rays of light streaked over the western horizon, the house came within Duo's sight. The young man's eyes widened as he took in the large cabin-style home. On the outside it appeared to be a well-designed and modern log cabin with large wood logs stacked up on one another to form the walls of the house, making the home a structure in perfect harmony with its environment. A wide, wooden deck surrounded the exterior of the house with beautifully crafted wood furniture sitting in front of the large front-room window. Off to the side, Duo noticed a hammock tied between two trees that looked as inviting as the home itself.

The driveway widened and circled around to the base of the rock-fashioned stairs that led up to the porch steps. Heero stopped in front of it and turned the car off. Without waiting, Duo leapt out immediately and stood next to the car as he looked up at the home, stunned by what he was seeing.

Heero got out of the car, taking the bag of groceries from the space behind his seat, and moved to his love's side, enjoying the look on Duo's face. "So, I take it you approve."

Wide violet eyes turned to him, a smile blooming on the handsome face. "It's perfect, Heero. Just like you," he purred

Heero smiled and let his eyes wander up to look at his, no, hopefully their home. "I designed it for you," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, with only a little trace of pride in his voice.

"Heero," Duo whispered, wondering if he could be anymore surprised by Heero than he already was. "How? It's so perfect. It blends beautifully with the environment."

"I studied," he shrugged. "I liked a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs; simple, beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to its environment. His idea of designing a structure was to have it become part of the natural environment, not distracting from it but enhancing it."

"You have a great talent, Heero," Duo whispered in obvious awe. "Have you ever thought about doing this full time?"

"Just a little." Heero confessed what he'd never told another person. "I worked with an architect and structural engineer and they were both impressed by my drawings and ideas enough to suggest I go to school. Both offered to help sponsor my education if I'd consider joining their firms after I graduated."

Duo's eyes were wide with wonder. "And?"

"I'm thinking about it," he replied putting his arm around Duo's shoulders and led him up the stairs. "I've come to the conclusion I don't want to be a bodyguard forever."

"You should go for your dreams, Heero," Duo said encouragingly as he placed his arm around Heero's waist as they climbed. The movement and touch felt so natural that he didn't consciously realize he'd done it.

As they reached the top landing of the porch, the arm around Duo's waist tightened. "I am going for my dream right now," Heero replied, and turned to face Duo, putting the grocery bag down on the small table on the wooden porch, he was then free to place both hands on the slightly smaller man's shoulders. 

With a warm, inviting smile, Duo stepped forward and put his head on Heero's shoulder and wrapped both of his arms around the man he'd lost his heart to all over again. Heero's hands stroked his back and he felt a kiss on the side of his head as Heero murmured, "I love you."

Touched by Heero's words and actions, Duo pulled back to let the other see the unshed tears welling in his eyes. "This is going completely against my plan, you know," he said with a watery smile.

"Plan?" Heero asked softly as his hand came up to brush the fair cheek with his thumb.

"Yeah, my plan to go slow. I promised myself to hold back from loving you until you could prove yourself to me."

"I am trying to show you, to prove it to you," Heero began, his face sober and his eyes intense, "that I have loved you and that I believe we can have a future together. I've waited three years for you to come back so I could beg for another chance, to right all my wrongs. I don't want to go slow, Duo. I've always wanted and needed you, and I don't think that is ever going to change."

If he had anything further to say, it was halted by Duo's lips fervently pursed against his own. The kiss was long, deep and passionate. And when at last they pulled apart, Duo pressed his body fully against the strong chest, his head nestled into the crook of Heero's neck and his arms wrapped tightly around him.

"Why couldn't you have said such wonderful things to me three years ago?" he asked, mourning for all the time wasted.

"I think..." Heero began thoughtfully, "that things happen for a reason. If we'd gotten together back then, maybe I would never have been able to open up and express myself. I had to lose the most precious thing to me in order to realize what I'd lost. I had to re-evaluate myself, my mistakes and my shortcomings in order to be able to change," he stated softly. "Now I know what I want and what I need, and it's you, Duo. I worked at opening up, expressing my feelings, and I built this home as an anchor to the hope that, when you returned, you'd find it and me acceptable."

Duo pulled back from the comforting embrace to look into the deep blue eyes with a hopeful look in them. "I love you, Heero. I always have and always will," he confessed, his heart felt instant relief from speaking the words. "But I still want to go slow," he added. "I want what I feel right now to last forever; and we both know that we've changed over the last three years. I think we owe it to ourselves to learn about each other before we set up house together."

Heero took in a deep breath of air and let it out in the form of a sigh. He lifted a hand to run it through his own hair, a sign of frustration. "You're right," he reluctantly conceded. "I, too, want this to last." He looked through the evening's dim light into Duo's face. "So what do we do now?" he asked, looking for some direction.

"Well," a devilish glint came into the devastatingly beautiful eyes, "you did promise me dinner."

Heero nodded and bent to pick up the almost forgotten bag of groceries. Finding the right key on his key chain, he unlocked the front door, opened it, and quickly keyed off the interior security alarm. Duo followed him in, taking in the large great room with an enormous rock fireplace and a modern kitchen to the back of the room. He shut the front door behind him and leaned against it as Heero turned on the lights, further illuminating the beautiful but thoroughly masculine room. 

When Heero turned towards him, Duo gave in a smile full of wicked intentions. "And, after dinner," he continued on with his suggestions for the evening, "I want you to show me the master bedroom," he said in a sultry voice.

Heero's eyes snapped open at the suggestion and Duo smiled impishly. "Well, slow doesn't have to mean celibate," he drawled, then threw his head back and laughed as his hand was quickly grabbed and he was promptly pulled into the kitchen area where Heero prepared the quickest dinner known in the history of man.

TBC

  
  



	11. part 11

Warnings and Disclaimers on first page of story

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 11

Sunday morning brought not only another beautiful spring day, but also the traditional weekly brunch that was shared by the Milliardo Peacecraft family. With his plate filled with eggs, bacon and a baguette slathered with orange marmalade, the adopted son of the family leaned heavily on his upraised left hand, his elbow on the table next to his plate while his other hand held his fork that idly moved though his mostly untouched food.

Duo shifted his sore bottom on the cushioned chair. He'd forgotten about this part of making love, but took some slight comfort in knowing that Heero was at the palace experiencing the exact feelings of discomfort that he was. He sighed, deeply wistful; it had been a long, satisfying night for both of them.

His mind rolled back over the events of the night before with a smile that was nothing short of blissful on his face. He and Heero had barely made it into the bedroom after a rushed meal of a half-cooked cheese omelet and limp, barely toasted bread, and in their haste, the dirty dishes were left neglected in the sink. They burst through the bedroom door, lips fervently locked together and hands busy undressing each other. Of course, that task wasn't difficult considering they still wore only their swim trunks and tee-shirts. 

The large, king-size bed was inviting and perfectly situated under the large skylight that slid open by remote to allow the night air and the sounds of the crickets and frogs to float into the master bedroom. It was the perfect setting for their lovemaking. The complete, un-obstructive view of millions of stars in the night sky above them was the romantic canopy of their bed as they re-explored each other hearts and bodies and made full use of the enormous mattress.

They both knew at the onset of their first round of lovemaking in three years that it was destined to be short. Once Heero possessed him, it was only a matter of moments before they both came, calling out each other's name.

After a quick clean up, both lay content in each other's arms, listening to nature's song of the night and lulled into a light sleep by the beat of each other's contented heartbeats.

Duo woke several hours later, already feeling the soreness that accompanied their coupling, but determined not to let that stop him from any more pleasure. He began to nibble on Heero's neck and, once he was sure his lover was awake, he worked his own magical spell on his always ready-for-action bed partner. To his surprise, Heero turned the tables and offered himself up to him; something that had never been asked for or volunteered in the past. Duo had always dreamed of taking Heero, but the former Wing pilot had always taken the dominant position, no questions asked other than permission to do so. He felt hesitant, but only for a moment before he accepted the gift Heero was offering him, realizing his lover was once again showing him how much he had changed. Their second bout of lovemaking managed to go a bit longer than the first and, in the end, it came to the same wonderful and mind-blowing conclusion.

"Max!" A sharp but laughing female voice brought Duo out of his reverie. 

He blinked and looked up, appearing confused. May was staring at him looking amused and baffled.

"What is the matter with you? I called your name several times. Talk about being zoned out." The girl smirked, a look much like her brother's usual expression.

He blushed and straightened from his slumped-over position. "Sorry May," he apologized. "What did you need?"

"I was asking if you met any girls at the pool yesterday. I saw a lot of cute guys, but Marcus pretty much scared them away."

"No, other than Relena I didn't meet any other girls," he answered a bit nervously. He sensed that he and his sister were about to have the dreaded but unavoidable discussion that was bound to happen if he stayed with Heero.

"Then where were you last night?" she asked innocently, just before she popped a fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"Heero wanted to show me his house after we left the slides." He shifted a bit and winced at the lingering ache. "It's up in the hills above Sanq and it was too late to come back down, so I spent the night there."

"Heero has a house?" Lucretia asked, looking as surprised as Duo had been. Yet the person to whom the question was asked looked to Milliardo who gave him a knowing and slightly disappointed look and a shake of his head.

Ignoring it for the moment, Duo answered the question with obvious enthusiasm. "He designed it himself. You should see it, it's perfect. It up on the mountains behind Sanq and overlooks the city. It's really isolated and fits into the hillside beautifully. At night you can see all the stars in the sky." He couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips. "Heero has quite a talent." He smiled at his honest praise of his lover.

"I just can't picture Heero in a home of his own," Lucretia said with a pleased smile at the thought of it. "Good for him."

"Why did he build a home that's so isolated?" Milliardo asked.

There was a pause as Duo thought about what answer to give. But he had said to Heero, as a condition for having any future together, that they not be embarrassed of their relationship. If he now spoke anything but the truth, he would be dishonest to not only his family, but to Heero. These were the people he loved and trusted, and they deserved nothing but the truth from him. That decided, he answered his adopted father. "He built it for me, so that if I ever came back I would have a home to go to." Having answered the question, Duo cautiously studied the faces of the people who meant as much to him as Heero did for their reaction.

May blinked in confusion. "But you have a home Max, why would your friend build one for you?"

Duo looked from her to their adoptive parents for guidance.

"You might as well tell her Max or she'll find out some other way," Milliardo advised, his face giving an expression of seriousness, and looking to Lucretia, she nodded her head that she agreed.

The young girl who had been his sister for the last three years looked to him expectantly with a trace of worry and fear on her face, probably imagining the worse case scenario, he thought.

"It's not a bad thing May." He rushed to ease whatever horrible thing she'd conjured up in her mind. "It's just that before I became a part of this family," he paused, obviously nervous. He decided to try another tract. "You know what I was during the war, right?"

The red headed girl nodded. "You were a gundam pilot from the colonies," she replied.

"That's right." He gave her a small smile. "Well, during the war..." He hesitated, then started again. "Before I came home from the Celebration Party with Mill and Lu I was in love with someone."

The pretty teen furrowed her brow as she took in what was being said. "But, you were so sad and lonely when you came to be part of our family." Her eyes widened. "Did she die?"

"No," Duo replied, realizing he wasn't doing a very good job of explaining what he meant. "I was basically running away after being hurt. No one but you three and Lady Une knew where I'd gone."

"So this person you loved hurt you?" she asked with a frown marring her pretty face.

"Yes, along with my other friends," Duo replied.

"And you still love her?"

Duo took a deep breath. "It wasn't a her, May. It was a guy. Heero to be exact, and yes, I still love him."

The room went still and the girl ceased all movement and questions as she stared at her brother in shock. "So...you're gay?" she asked in a weak voice.

"I guess if I'm in love with another guy, then that's the right term to use," he replied with a nervous smile.

"Did Mom and Dad know?"

"Yep," he replied as casually as possible, worried at her reaction.

Her green eyes turned to the two adults sitting across from them. She saw each of them give her a reassuring smile, and gave an exaggerated huff and look of indignation. "Why am I always the last to know everything?" she complained unhappily.

"Well, you were young," Duo explained looking apologetic.

"I might have been young, but I was anything but stupid. You could have told me," she pouted.

"Are you very uncomfortable with this?" Duo asked, shifting slightly in his seat, then wincing at the bad move.

"Yeah, I'm uncomfortable that my family doesn't tell me anything. How can I know how to act properly if I don't have all the pertinent information."

"No, May." Duo reached across the slight distance separating him from his sister and took the girl's chin in his hand. "Quit stalling and tell me what you think. Your opinion is important to me."

The pretty red head smiled sadly at her brother. "I just want you to be happy, Max," she answered. "But it does make me sad that you won't be having a wedding or children. I would have liked to be an aunt one day and have a sister-in-law."

"I'm sorry I can't make those dreams come true for you, May," he said softly, his eyes filled with compassion. They both hadn't had a normal family life until Milliardo and Lu took them in. And once they both got a glimpse of what a family was like, they'd shared other dreams together of their future families. "Could you maybe be happy with a big party and someone like a brother-in-law?"

"Would he go shopping with me and do my hair?" she asked impishly with a disarming half smile.

Duo smirked back. "Well, he's done both with me in the past, though reluctantly in the shopping department. I don't see why he couldn't do those things with you. Who knows," he laughed lightly, "maybe Heero's always wanted a little sister."

"Sounds like things have gotten serious between you and Heero after one date," Milliardo observed, his face filled with concern.

Duo turned from his sister to face the two people he owed so much to. "I told Heero I wanted to take it slow," he began. "But I love him and he loves me. We'll be careful in public with our affections and I'll continue to live here until we're sure our relationship will work, after all, a lot changes in three years."

"You're sure about this. Heero's the one you want to settle for," the blond man asked.

"Mill," Lucretia spoke to her husband in a mildly chastising tone. "Trust him to make his own decisions concerning his heart. This isn't so surprising. We knew how he felt when we took him home with us that first night."

"He was hurt and felt rejected," the man reminded her with a frown at the memory. "I don't want to see him hurt like that again."

"That's why I'm not moving in with him yet," Duo interjected. "We've both changed and I want to make sure we're...compatible."

"Just be careful," Milliardo advised his son and his wife nodded her head in agreement.

"I will be," Duo assured them. "But the changes I've seen in Heero only make me love him more. You should see his home and how he designed it, with things I'd said during the war as his guide." He went on a few moments describing the setting, the fireplace, the open-air skylight that let them look up at the stars, brilliantly shining against the black drop of space with no light around them to dim the view.

"Excuse me." The older, part-time butler, Spencer stood at the door to the dining room.

"What is it Spencer?" the lady of the house asked.

"Mr. Standish is here to see Master Maximilian."

When all eyes turned to the braided haired young man, they saw the look on his face, clearly relating that he was not happy at the announcement. 

"If you could ask him to wait for me in the front sitting room, I'll be there as soon as I finish here," Duo told the elderly man he'd met before the trip to Mars. There was something about the twinkle in the eyes of the sixty-three year old man that made Duo feel accepted in the Peacecraft household, unlike the other butler in training, Layton. Duo sensed that man highly disapproved of him. The formal looking butler bowed slightly, then turned and left the room.

Duo turned to his sister. "Speaking of Marcus, we need to have another talk May," he informed her, then promptly told her how she had been manipulated by the slick talker the day before.

*****

Marcus stood from the formal, pale blue and green brocade sofa the moment Duo entered the room. "Hello Max," he said warmly in greeting the other, a smile plastered on his face as his eyes scanned the trim body before him, an obvious look a appreciation registered on his face. The long haired young man wore low on the hip black jeans and a dark blue tee-shirt with the words, "I'm legit," printed in large and bold yellow print across his chest. He watched the masculine beauty move across the room towards him with unconsciously graceful strides, distracting him from seeing the unhappy frown that was approaching as well. The person he lusted for stopped a good four feet in front of him, planted his fists on his hips, and with his chin in the air asked, "Well?"

Marcus was dressed casually for Sunday morning, pleated fawn colored khaki pants and a pale yellow polo shirt. He held up both hands and gave a slightly less brilliant smile. "Okay, I'm sorry," he said with a slight smile. "I shouldn't have crashed your date yesterday. But May gave me the perfect in to seeing how you and Queero looked together."

Duo's eyes flashed angrily. "His name is Heero, Marcus. And if you can't manage to say it right, then don't say it at all. If you had any idea who Heero is, you'd have a lot more respect for him."

"Let see," Marcus drawled as only those born rich could do perfectly. "Heero Yuy is Relena Peacecraft's bodyguard. My parents told me they'd been to the Celebration at the end of the war and that Pilot 01, as they referred to him then, was dedicating himself to keeping her safe to protect the fragile peace. I guess that means that Heero is the nefarious Wing Zero Gundam pilot, also touted as Relena's live-in lover slash bodyguard. I can only wonder how you met him. Was it during the war or after?"

Duo paused for only a moment, thinking up a quick half truth and knowing he wasn't going to tell Marcus anything he didn't need to know, that he too had been a gundam pilot. He might have guessed who Heero was by putting two and two together, but the others and himself wanted to keep their past from overshadowing their futures. "I met Heero at a school we both attended in the first war, we were roommates that became something more and kept our relationship going even through we didn't see each other very much. And for your information, he's not Relena's lover and never was." Duo frowned unhappily. "He's mine."

Marcus stared at the eyes blazing beautifully below him, more than his heart was affected by such unusual depth of passion and brilliance. "I figured," he replied a bit sadly. "I just thought you were going to give me a bit more of a chance."

Duo's frown softened, slightly. "I'm sorry, but there really isn't any more room in my heart. Heero owns it all."

To Duo's surprise, Marcus gave him a warm smile. "I'm happy for you Max. I hope we can still be friends." He stuck out his hand in a gesture of friendship.

Duo looked at it suspiciously. "Why?" He asked. "Why such a sudden change of heart?"

Marcus shrugged. "You've found what all of us search for in this life, the other half of yourself, someone who makes you feel complete. I can't be angry that I'm not that person; we were still in the beginning stages of friendship. But I can still be happy for someone who found it, and hope I'll be as fortunate one day."

Duo watched the taller man as he spoke and could only see sincerity, not mockery in his eyes and words. Putting aside his earlier anger, he took hold of the hand still stretched out to him and shook it. His eyes raised to meet Marcus's and they exchanged a friendly smile. Hands dropped and they each took a step back.

"Friends?" Marcus asked with a hopeful look.

Duo nodded. "Friends."

"Good," Marcus smiled warmly, "and to prove it, I'd like to invite you and May to come sailing with me this afternoon. That is if you haven't got anything else planned."

"I'll have to make sure my family doesn't have anything planned and then check with Heero."

"I'll wait if you want to do that now." Marcus politely offered.

Duo nodded. "I'll be back in a moment," he replied, then turned and quickly left the formal sitting room. 

Marcus watched him go, then turned to take his former seat on the sofa, his pleasant smile disappearing completely to be replaced with a frowning, calculating look. 

He looked up five minutes later as Max entered the room with a smiling May in tow. "Alright, you've got the two of us until six this evening," the braided young man announced.

May stepped forward. "What do we wear Marcus? I've never been sailing before," she asked. 

"A swimsuit and a change of clothes in case you get wet," Marcus replied smiling in a friendly manner towards the girl.

"What time?" Duo asked.

"As soon as you're ready to go."

"Then come on Max." May grabbed her brother's arm and began to pull him towards the door. "Let's get going so we can get out of here."

"Back in ten," Duo called out over his shoulder with a smile as he was pulled from the room by the excited girl.

Left alone once again, Marcus went to the tall, narrow window that looked out over the east-side gardens. "This isn't over Max," he murmured to himself. "It's never over until I get what I want." Then a slight turn of his lips formed a contemptuous sneer as his mind began to plot strategies on how to reach his goal.

Despite his reservations and Heero's cautious warning to be wary of Standish, the two Peacecraft siblings had an enjoyable afternoon. Marcus proved to not only be an apt sailor, but also a congenial host. He was friendly, funny and charming. On top of that, he always stayed within the bounds of friendship, much to Duo's surprise and relief. They arrived home five minutes before six that evening, after having enjoyed a casual dinner at a pier-side fish and chip restaurant. Before waving at the two from his white, luxury convertible, the sandy haired man extracted a promise from the both of them that they would do something similar sometime soon.

It was Layton who opened the door to the smiling young people and, with a stiff, almost abrasive manner informed Master Maximilian that Mr. Yuy had called for him, several times in fact.

The next week brought with it a flurry of activity. While Heero spent his days guarding Relena during endless public relations and official meetings, Milliardo drove his son to the campus of Sanq University to get a feel for the school to pick up the necessary forms to apply for entrance the next semester and to see a counselor in regards to transferring his credits and finishing the last of his studies to graduate.

The press had learned of the Peacecraft's return to Earth and their two adopted children and many requests for interviews were received. Milliardo arranged for a family portrait to be taken and that, along with a general and slightly vague press release, was given to the hungry media gossips. All interviews were denied outright.

Lucretia took May to enroll her in the same school Relena had attended in her teens. Yet unlike most of the girls going to the Sanq Academy, May would be going home after her classes and not staying in the dorms. Duo spent several evenings commiserating with the distraught girl over the style of uniform she was required to wear.

Quatre, Trowa and Wufei each made phone calls to their newly returned friend that week that lasted well over an hour as they caught each other up on their lives on a more personal level than when they spoke to each other in public the Friday before. And even though his job kept Heero on call twenty-four hours a day during the three weeks he guarded Relena, he managed to have daily contact with Duo, either in person, when Relena's schedule permitted, or by phone. 

Marcus called on Thursday night from his apartment in Paris saying he'd be returning Saturday morning to Sanq and asked if Duo could come to his house for a swim on Saturday night, if he happened to be free that evening. After a friendly, amiable chat, Duo promised to get back to him after he talked with Heero. An hour later, he called back. Relena was to attend some sort of official gathering on Saturday night and Heero would be on duty. He accepted the invitation with the stipulation that May would be able to come too.

Friday night came at last, and as previously arranged, Duo arrived at the Sanq Palace promptly at seven for dinner. Relena warmly greeted her nephew as he entered the diningroom at the palace. Her smile was both warm and enthusiastic. "I'm so glad you could come, Duo." Her eyes were alight with teasing. "Heero has just talked my ears off all week about you."

"I did not," Heero's amused chuckle came from behind him, and Duo turned to give him a radiant smile. "She still has both ears intact," he added.

Relena sighed at the obvious love exchanged in the expressions on both of the handsome young men's faces, and felt a small stab of envy at their more that obvious happiness. "Come on." She looped her arms through one of each of their arms, evilly sandwiching herself between the two lovers. "Let's get dinner over with so you two can have some time together."

The table was set for six in a small private dining room. Seeing this, Duo looked to Heero. "Who else is coming?" he asked.

"Just us," Quatre's happy sounding voice called out from the door they had entered through moments before. Turning with welcoming smiles on their faces, they greeted the other three former pilots just entering. Everyone was dressed casually, in slacks and shirts of varying colors. The only noticeable difference was that Wufei was wearing his hair down, something none of those present had seen much of before. The black, glossy hair fell perfectly straight and a good six inches past his shoulders.

Relena abandoned the two to greet the others with the same warm politeness she'd greeted Duo moments before. After the hellos and welcomes were done, she surprised four of them by angling herself up next to Wufei and slipping her hand under his arm to hold onto it, looking quite comfortable with the contact, and allowed him to lead her to the table. Wufei, for his part, looked equally comfortable with the physical contact with Relena at the role of escort she'd subtly given him.

Heero and Duo had watched the whole episode with a smile, Heero's arm wrapped around Duo's slender waist, holding him close to his side. After hugs and hand shakes were exchanged between the five young men, Trowa looked to Duo with an amused gleam in his eyes. "So, what do we call you now, Duo The Dip Stick or Max de Millions?"

Duo looked dumbfounded at Trowa, then turned his eyes to Quatre. "Alright Que, when did bang boy, the living blinded-sided 'oh no, I'm out of ammo' punk get a sense of humor?"

The blond billionaire laughed. "He's always had one, Duo. You just always upstaged the rest of us."

"Well, you've had your three years to shine Trowa," the braided man said, putting his around Heero's waist and giving him a squeeze. "But I'm back, and I'm going to stay, and you can call me Duo." 

"We wouldn't have it any other way." Trowa smiled at his two friends, obviously having mended their past differences. He took up Quatre's hand and gave it a loving squeeze, which was readily returned.

They let Relena guide them to the table and the staff brought in the entire dinner, set it on the table and withdrew from the room.

"We're eating family style tonight," she explained the informality. "Because in many respects, we are a family." There was a mummer of agreement all around the table and the meal began with reminiscing, laughter and moments of poignant pauses for more somber memories.

The evening proved to be a wonderful one to which the five young men thanked their hostess for bringing them together. It was just after midnight before the three reluctantly took their leave and Relena excused herself for the evening, leaving Heero and Duo to their own devices.

Several hours later, Duo collapsed in sated exhaustion on top of the slick and heated chest of his lover and mumbled a barely coherent, "Finally." Laying his head against the moist skin, he listened to the fast beating rhythm of Heero's heart as it began to slow with each passing moment.

Having caught his breath and using what little bit of strength he had left, Duo shifted slightly and gasped as his lover slipped out of him. Raising himself up to gaze down on the happy and exhausted face below him, he gave his Heero a look of exasperated wonder. "What the hell was that, Heero?" he questioned in disbelief. "I came twice and you were still going strong." He told his lover what they both obviously were aware of. "Now I've always considered you to the perfect soldier, but you've never displayed that much prowess in bed before. So what gives? Did you take an Underdog Super Energy Pill or something?"

Heero chuckled, though having no idea what the pill was Duo referred to, he nevertheless found his lover's statement humorous. "No. But because the last time ended so quickly I wanted to make sure our lovemaking lasted a bit longer this time. I went to the pharmacy and found something called Maintain. It kind of numbs you, desensitizes you so that your erection lasts longer."

"Longer?" Duo's voice rose in response. "We're talking marathon here." He collapsed to the side of the muscled chest and rested on his side, his head on Heero's shoulder.

"Maybe I used too much." Heero guessed.

"Ya think?" came Duo's sarcastic reply. "I'm not going to be able to walk at all tomorrow, much less sit," he complained.

"Then I guess I'll just keep you in bed all day," Heero teased.

Duo sighed deeply and rolled halfway onto Heero's chest again, resting his head on the strong shoulder. "If only we could." 

"I have to work all weekend, but my time off starts on Monday," Heero said in an apologetic voice as he turned on his side and kept his lover's body flush against his. This position allowed his to look into Duo's eyes. "Do you want to come and stay at our house for the week, or have me come down to see you daily?"

Duo yawned deeply, even as he felt his heart warm at Heero using the words, "our house" and what that simple phrase meant to him. "I'm too tired to think about it right now. Can I get back to you when we wake up?"

Heero whispered, "Yes" against Duo's lips, then began a series of light kisses on his cheeks, eyelids, ear, and moved down to his neck. "Did I hurt you during our marathon? I'm sorry if I did."

With his eyes closed, Duo could barely find the energy to answer. "Not during, but I'm sore now," he whispered back, unsuccessfully fighting back another yawn.

"I'll make it better, alright?"

Duo opened one eye to look suspiciously at the dark haired man who held him. "How are you going to do that?" he asked.

"Wait here and don't fall asleep. I'll be right back." Heero kissed the tip of Duo's pert nose and slowly extricated himself from his lover's limbs that had been twisted around him. 

Curious, Duo watched through heavy eyelids as the trim and muscled body that he adored moved in the direction of the bathroom. The door closed and the light and fan went on as evidenced from the slight crack under the door. The sound of water being run could be heard a moment later.

The room suddenly seemed colder with Heero gone, and Duo shivered, reaching down with his foot, he hooked the sheet and blanket they'd tossed aside at the onset of their lovemaking and pulled them up to cover his chilled body. Snuggling into the covers, in possibly the only place that was dry, he found himself helpless from falling asleep.

"Not yet, love." Heero's voice sounded in his ear, and Duo registered the blankets being pulled back and he moaned in complaint at the loss of warmth. But his complaint ended when strong arms picked him up and carried him against a warm chest.

Squeezing his eyes tight against the bright bathroom light, he didn't realize what was happening until he felt very warm water encase his body and that Heero was still holding him. He sighed contentedly into Heero's chest, feeling warm and cherished, he lay nestled in his lover's strong arms as Heero's soapy hands began to clean their submerged bodies. Then the soft hum and the bubbling pulse of the water jets surrounded them, adding to the pleasure he felt and gently easing his over-used muscles.

With his head on Heero's shoulder, it was only a short distance to the strong yet slender neck. Duo leaned forward and began nibbling on it. "Love you so much," he whispered against the damp skin.

Heero's arms tightened slightly. "I love you more than word can say," he whispered back with emotion in his usually placid voice. Feelings of peace and happiness followed the euphoric sense of contentment that was felt by both young lovers.

When the blue-violet eyes opened the next morning around ten, it was to the sight of Heero resting on his side, his head propped up on his elbow, his chest bare to the waist where the blanket they shared lay seductively draped, and his sparkling blue eyes were warm as was the smile that lit his face as he greeted his sleepy lover.

"Morning." Duo stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Heero asked, a knowing smile on his handsome face.

Taking a moment to assess his body, Duo was relieved that he was only slightly sore from their rigorous lovemaking the night before, the hot jacuzzi bath had helped a lot. Despite the dull ache that was tolerable, when he looked up from his place on the bed to see Heero laying beside him looking like a seductive god, his body reacted instantly.

With a wicked gleam in his eyes and a crooked smile, he reached for Heero's hand and brought it to his lips to kiss the back of it gently before flicking his tongue out and licking it. Delighting in seeing Heero's eyes widen and his breath catch, he took the hand of his lover and led it down beneath the covers to the current barometer of emotions. "I feel really good," he answered, and all but purred as Heero's hand enclosed around him and his top leg moved slowly to ease between his own. "What a wonderful way to wake up," he said breathlessly a moment before Heero's body settled on top of his and his lips were claimed once again.

An hour after Heero left his room to report for work, Duo emerged. His walk was more sedate than usual and, if anyone cared to look closely, the recognizable bounce in his step was definitely still there but was just temporarily toned down as the braided man walked with caution, mindful of the soreness he felt. Yet the glow that emanated from him clearly displayed the young man's state of happiness, and happiness looked very good on Maximilian Peacecraft.

Heero had requested that Duo's car, well it was actually Lucretia's impressive, German-made, antique sports coupe, to be brought to the front of the palace at noon; and there it sat, ready from him to drive home when he exited the elaborate front doors.

Duo sat down in the driver's seat and started the car, a large satisfied-with-the-world smile on his face. Having used Heero's shampoo, his hair and borrowed shirt smelled like his lover and, breathing in deeply, he could almost pretend that Heero was at his side. Feeling at peace with the world at large, he put the car in first gear and began the drive home.

That evening, after dinner with his family, Duo and May walked over to the Sheffield estate. The sun was lowering on the horizon, but the air stayed warm and comfortable.

Marcus met them at the front door and led them through the large country estate and back to the pool area, chatting and teasing in a friendly manner on neutral topics. On the table near the pool were a variety of snacks and deserts as well as a pool-side bar. A uniformed maid was putting on the final touches to the serving table when they arrived.

"Thank you, Marguerite." Marcus's voice was warm and gracious to the middle aged woman. "Why don't you take the night off with the rest of the staff."

The woman looked surprised. "You won't need me to clean the food away?" she asked.

"No, I think I can handle it. Go ahead, I'll see you tomorrow around noon."

"Thank you, sir." the older woman rushed to say, then promptly excused herself. By the time Marcus had finished dismissing the woman, he turned around to find his two guests were already in the water, splashing and having what looked like a good time.

The three exited the water well after the sun had set and proceeded to towel off the excess moisture that clung to their skin and hair.

May pulled her bathing suit cover-up on and went to the buffet laid out on the table to sample the treats, her towel wrapped around her shoulders. She returned to her brother's side with a plate full of assorted goodies to share with him.

Marcus fixed and brought three drinks on a tray to them and set it on a smaller patio table that sat between the lounge chairs. He handed a tall glass filled with a ruby red concoction to the red head. "A Shirley Temple," he told her as she looked at him quizzically. "It's non-alcoholic, and flavored with grenadine juice," he explained.

May sipped it, then smiled in approval.

Marcus handed Duo a drink and said, "A Margarita," he told him. Then took the other identical looking drink in his free hand and put the tray down. "I've never made them myself, so if it tastes a little off, let me know." He took a sip of his and gave a smile of approval to the long haired young man sitting next to him.

Duo sipped at the drink and, though he found it pleasant enough, there was a slight odd taste to it. He decided it wasn't worth commenting on as it was probably just the mix that was added to the alcohol.

Marcus turned on some soft listening music and they talked of minor things as they watched the moon rise in the early evening sky. Having finished a second Margarita, Duo felt comfortable and uncommonly sleepy. He turned his head to gaze lethargically at his silent sister to see that she'd fallen asleep on the chaise lounge she was stretched out on. "I shhhould get 'er 'ome," he mumbled sleepily, his words slurring.

"She'll be okay," Marcus said in a reassuring and soothing tone of voice. "Don't worry Max, I'm going to take care of everything." 

Duo barely managed a slight nod before he lost consciousness.

TBC


	12. part 12

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Part 12

Disclaimer on page one. Please heed the warnings: R, yaoi, and NCS

A sharp slap to his face brought Duo to an abrupt but dull state of wakefulness. He felt strangely dazed and disoriented, his cheek stung as if he'd been slapped more than once and his tongue felt thick with the aftertaste of something unpleasant. He made a move to roll over from off his back, only to take in a quick mental gasp of shock in realizing he couldn't move his arms or legs. Lying still with his eyes closed, he took a quick assessment of his body and realized several things at once: he was on something soft, probably a bed, he was on his back with his arms and legs tied tightly in a wide, spread eagle position, and he was naked. With no small effort, he opened his eyes to see the familiar outline of a person above him and, after a few moments passed, his fuzzy mind and blurry eyes began to clear enough that he began to assimilate everything he seeing. The shadowy figure above him was Marcus. Slowly turning his head, he looked around the room he was being held in to see that it was a bedroom and that there were candles lit on every flat surface throughout the large space, giving the otherwise dark area a warm glow of soft, seductive light.

"What the hell is going on here Marcus?" Duo demanded in a thick and sluggish voice, hoping his anger surpassed the fear he felt in such a vulnerable position. "You had better untie me right now!"

"Glad you're awake, Max," Marcus said in a deep, husky voice. "You've been sleeping through the first half the party, but now I need your full attention." 

Duo's eyes widened as he watched Marcus stand from the large bed he was tied to and followed him as he moved away to the dresser to take up a large candle in his hand. He could clearly see now that Marcus was also naked, and as he turned, it was evident that he was also aroused. It was now perfectly clear what his abductor's intentions were.

A sudden brilliant flash blinded the captive man, and he shut his eyes against it. "What's that?" Duo spat out in alarm.

"Just my camera, strategically placed and set on a tripod, timed to take pictures of the action on the bed every forty five seconds," Marcus answered in a strangely chipper tone. "I've already gotten some very tasty photos of us in some wonderfully creative positions before I tied you down." He chuckled darkly. "Funny thing is, when you're passed out with your mouth hung open and your head tilted back just so..." his voice was light and teasing and he demonstrated his words by throwing his head to the side and letting his mouth hang open. He then lowered his gaze and looked at his prisoner in the eye as he continued, "It looks like you're in the throws of ecstasy, Max. A great pose for you, by the way."

To say that Duo was horrified at what Marcus was insinuating was an understatement. He instinctively mentally checked his body once again. No, the only soreness he felt was a faint lingering twinge from his satisfying time with Heero the night before. Marcus hadn't raped him...yet. "Listen you sick son of a bitch," he growled out, his voice menacing. "If I don't kill you for this, Heero will," he threatened, his eyes never leaving the other man as he approached with the candle in front of him, looking like some demonic, naked altar boy.

"But you're not going to do anything of the sort," Marcus seemed unaffected by the real threat to his life and smiled down on his captive in a patronizing way. "In fact, you are going to cooperate and not say a word about what I'm going to do to you tonight." The smug, confident look on his face made Duo feel very uneasy.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, then blinked as another flash of the camera went off again.

"Because my beautiful Max, while you were sound asleep I took all kinds of suggestive photos of the two of us in many lovely and hard to resist positions. Very compromising, I promise you." Marcus smiled like the cat that swallowed the canary. "But I managed to restrain myself and not take you," he added. "I wanted to make sure you were awake when I did that. I want you to feel me deep inside of you when I make you come."

Flash

"You're a sick and twisted bastard, Marcus," Duo said vehemently, his anger and fear rising. Then he stifled a shocked cry as Marcus tilted the candle and let the large pool of hot wax fall on his exposed chest. "Stop this Marcus. You need some serious help." Duo yelled, as he struggled to pull his hands free of the restraints on his wrists, desperate to get away.

"You can't imagine how hard it was for me not to take you, Max." Marcus went on talking calmly, ignoring or not hearing the threats or pleading. "I was all over your beautiful body, skin to skin, my hands and fingers learning everything there is to know about you."

Suddenly Duo's stomach twisted and he felt sick with revulsion. A violent shudder shook his body. Seeing it, Marcus smiled. "Cold Max? Here, let me warm you." He tilted the candle again and dribbled the hot, burning wax down the length of the bare chest to the navel where he let it pool before moving it even lower.

"Stop this now." Duo panicked and yelled loudly while trying with all his might to twist his body in order to get it away from the hot dripping wax. "You're a deviant and perverted, and when I get free you will be a dead man if you don't stop this right now."

Marcus did stop for a moment, and raised his eyes from the trail of wax on the pale skin to look at his prisoner. He looked pointedly into Duo's angry eyes. "I have May asleep downstairs," he said softly, then smiled until the dimples on his cheeks deepened.

Duo's body stilled at the quiet threat. "If you touch her, if you've done anything to her I'll.."

Flash

"What?" Marcus interrupted with a raised eyebrow and a half smile. "Kill me?" He then started to laugh as if he'd just heard the funniest joke ever spoken.

"There are worse things than death, Marcus, and I know how to deliver it," Duo said in a deadly serious voice, meaning every word he uttered.

"I haven't touched her...yet." Marcus assured him in a nonchalant manner. "You're the one I want, not a little girl." He leaned down and moved forward over his victim and licked one of Duo's nipples. He paused for a moment to speak without rising from his current position. "I've wanted you from the first moment we met, Max. When I looked into your young, beautiful face and saw pain reflected in those unforgettable eyes of yours, I knew I had to have you, to be the cause and capture that exquisite pained expression once again. I've more or less been obsessed with the idea of doing this to you for three years, and now I have you. And if I ever get a hint of retaliation from you or your lover, I'll publish the photos that I'm taking on the Internet and ruin the Peacecraft family name in a torrid scandal." He then returned to laving the pink nub with his tongue before suddenly pausing, then without warning, bit down hard around the circumference of the right nipple, causing Duo to cry out at the pain.

Flash

The long haired man closed his eyes in order to shut out the reality of what was happening to him. Feeling the bed shift, he heard the candle being set down on the bedside table and flinched when he felt Marcus' hand begin to gently stroke his body, tempting and teasing his flesh in order to get a response for it. Duo fought against the rising reactions of his body to the seductive touching as the other man, obviously an expert in seduction, stroked his inner thighs and gently kneaded his flesh. He gasped when suddenly the wax that had been poured onto his skin was ripped off, sending a wave a agony through his shocked nerves.

Flash

"I'm all about pleasure and pain, Max." Marcus's voice was as smooth and cool as churned butter when he spoke. 

Then Duo felt Marcus's tongue on him once again and his body responded, despite his efforts to make it otherwise. Shame and feelings of betrayal filled him. "Heero," he whispered his lover's name in a shaky voice, fighting back a sob that was threatening to burst out of him.

Marcus pulled away from him. "Now that's the one thing I won't stand for," he said unhappily. "I want you thinking of me, not Zero," he added as he moved away from the bed, giving Duo a slight reprieve as the camera's flash went off yet again.

Several moments later, Duo was fighting the gag that was being shoved into his mouth. "Pity," Marcus said with regret as he shook his head ruefully. "I had plans for the mouth tonight." Then his eyes lit up and Duo could see a touch of madness in them. "But maybe later. After all, we have all night."

Duo could only watch and hated being made helpless as Marcus reached down and stroked his fingers against the long, unbound hair that had been deliberately fanned out around his head, putting him on display for the continuous flashing of the camera. "I have a whole box of toys I plan to use on your beautiful body tonight," he said calmly, unnerving Duo with his touch and eyes that took in his whole body with the look of a predator. As his abductor worked above him, Duo noted the change in Marcus's facial features that he had once thought handsome, they now held a demonic appearance that chilled his very soul.

Despite being gagged, the former L-2 street kid and rebel soldier that he had once been came back to the surface in his outrage. He buried his sense of decorum and politeness that his adopted parents worked with him to develop, and began a tirade of threats and obscenities, muffled but understood well enough through the cloth in his mouth. Marcus seemed amused at the venomous onslaught of vulgar names and threats that came from Duo's gagged mouth, and laughed heartily. It was more than clear that he was thoroughly amused by his victim's helplessness and rage.

Flash

Marcus brought his hand up and took a firm hold of his prisoner's chin, then turned his head slightly so that he could lower his face to whisper into Duo's ear. "We're going to have so much fun tonight, Max. I can guarantee you a night you will never forget." With that ominous prediction, Marcus took the earlobe next to his lips into his mouth and after sucking on it for a moment, bit down hard into the soft flesh. Duo yelled out in pain, but through the gag it came out sounding more like a moan. The sandy haired man's eyes lit up with excitement, liking the sound he caused his captive to make. "This is going to be so good," he murmured excitedly as he began to kiss and nip at the slender neck, continuing to leave marks of ownership on the young man laying helpless under his hands and completely at his mercy.

The camera took yet another picture.

****

The beautifully decorated grand ballroom of the Chancellor Hotel was filled with well dressed diplomats and businessmen alike. Relena looked beautiful in a long, light blue shimmering gown. The neckline was modest, as were the slight sleeves that covered her shoulders, but the sleek style and clingy material showed off her figure to perfection. She caught the eye of many as she made the rounds with Heero, appropriately dressed in a handsome black tuxedo, at her side. The dinner had finished the more formal part of the evening, and the important social aspect of the symposium was beginning. Relena had already lost count of how many people she'd spoken to, and was in the middle of a conversation with an older and prominent businessman about trade with the colonies when she caught sight of someone familiar.

"Excuse me," she said to the distinguished looking, white-haired man. "There is someone I must talk to." The man smiled pleasantly and Relena made a bee-line to the girl she recognized from school, Heero dutifully at her heels, his eyes scanning the room as they moved. "Laura!" Relena called out, and a tall willowy brunette turned with a surprised look that changed instantly to a smile in recognition of her former classmate.

"Relena." The other young woman smiled warmly in greeting as Vice Foreign Minister approached. The two gave each other a brief embrace then stood back to admire the changes in each other.

"You look wonderful," they said in unison and laughed at it together.

"How are you?" Relena asked. "I saw Marcus Standish last week at a party and he mentioned he worked for your father, but he didn't fill me in on how you were."

The other young woman's reaction to what she'd just said was not what she expected. Laura suddenly looked pensive, her eyes began to search the room with a touch of fear in them. "Is Marcus here?" she asked in a voice just a notch below panic.

"No, he's not here," Relena assured her. "But why are you so...scared?"

Wide brown eyes filled with fear turned to her friend. "Whatever you do Relena, stay away from him. He's evil and sick," the other woman fiercely warned.

Heero stepped forward and took hold of the young woman's trembling arm. "What do you mean?" he asked firmly.

Wary, watery eyes raised up to meet his, then shifted fearfully to Relena. "Tell us, Laura. Heero's my friend and bodyguard, you're safe with us," Relena assured her with a face full of concern, but commanding a response at the same time. 

The brunette kept her eyes trained on Relena as she answered in a small voice. "He's sick and perverted. He likes to take control of people and their bodies, then he blackmails them into silence. You can't trust him Relena, no matter how charming he comes across, never, ever trust him." 

"But he works for your father. How could you know this about him and your father employ him?" Relena asked, eyes wide at the information from her friend.

"Because he's bought my silence." Laura sucked in her bottom lip and stifled a sob. "My father doesn't know. If I tell...what he did to me..." Tears began to fall down the porcelain-like cheek. "Just don't trust him or let anyone you care about be near him." 

"I've got to go," Heero announced abruptly to his employer and friend. "Duo and May are at his house tonight for a swim."

"Then go quickly," Relena urged him. "Quatre and Trowa are here somewhere, I'll have one of them escort me home."

"Do that," Heero ordered, even as he rushed from the room, his hand was already dialing Duo's cell phone number. The answering machine on the other end picked up. He disconnected and dialed Wufei to put him on alert as backup as he raced out to his car.

In record time he made it to the Peacecraft's country estate, where he was told by the cranky butler, Layton, that neither May or Duo had returned home from the Sheffield Estate. 

A glance at his watch showed that it was ten fifteen. Not too late for their absence to be suspicious, but enough for him to be concerned. He knew he had to proceed with caution as there was a chance that the three were just swimming, that Marcus hadn't made any move to hurt Duo or May, and that his sudden arrival could be construed as jealous and obsessive. With that in mind, he chose to approach the neighboring estate with stealth, to observe the situation before acting. Turning from the Peacecraft estate, he ran through the dark to the Sheffield estate next door. The high, black iron gates were easily scaled and, keeping to the shadows, he approached the pool area. All was silent and still as he turned his face around the corner of the house to gaze at the apparently deserted patio. He moved like a shadow around the pool that was illuminated with lights still on underneath the surface of the placid water. He took in the abandoned table of food as well as several empty glasses near the outdoor lounging chairs.

Turning his attention to the house, he approached the French doors and found them unlocked. He entered silently to find the inside of the house to be relatively dark as he made his way from room to room on the lower level in search of his lover and his sister. He hoped against hope and the rising fear growing in his heart that they were alright.

Then, to his relief, he found May sleeping in the family room. He sat on the edge of the couch on which she rested on her side and gently shook her shoulder, calling out her name. When that failed to rouse her, Heero turned on a light and lifted her eyelids to look at her pupils. From the look of her pupils he determined that she had been drugged. With anger and fear mounting for Duo's safety, he reluctantly left her and ran to the stairs leading to the upper half of the house. Taking the stairs two at a time and still maintaining his silence, he began to systematically search the rooms on the second landing. The house was large but apparently also empty, making Heero's task that much easier. His movements came to a stop and his head turned as a small sound came from down the hallway, sending Heero went right to it. He approached the door as the sound came again, and placing his ear against the door, he heard what sounded like muffled sobbing. "See, that wasn't so bad." Marcus's voice sounded smug in its attempt to soothe. "I'm a teacher of life, my love, and remember, it's all about pleasure and pain," he said calmly. "I just gave you both and we're only beginning." Heero heard the familiar voice chuckle in a tone that could only be termed as horribly ominous, even as the other muffled sound continued.

Without another moment's hesitation, Heero gathered up his body and hotly fueled anger and burst into the room, his eyes immediately finding his lover laying naked and tied spread eagle on the large bed. Laying next to Duo's stretched out body was Marcus, equally naked with his hand frozen in place on Duo's flat stomach. The startled man's head shot up and his eyes widened at the intruder's abrupt entrance. Heero's sharp sense of smell noted the musky scent in the room adding to his rage.

Marcus didn't show fear as any one with any sense would have, but instead he foolishly smiled smugly at Heero and asked, "Come to join the fun lover boy?"

In the blink of an eye, Heero was diving onto the bed with his fists in motion. His first blow connected with Marcus's jaw, hitting with enough force to knock the man's larger body away from Duo's. The next blow knocked the offensive man from off the bed and onto the floor. Marcus showed that he had regained some sense of preservation and scrambled to his feet and began to back off from the approaching grim reaper. Raising up his hands to defend himself, he found Heero's precise blows indefensible, despite any training he might have had in self defense. 

Staggering backwards to the wall, Marcus began to see the error of his ways. "Please, please stop Heero. I didn't really hurt him. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He began a rapid stream of pleading words, each one met by a hard, precisely placed blow to his body. In desperation from not being able to defend himself, Marcus lunged at the Japanese man, thinking his greater size and strength could stop his assailant's attack, only to find his body thrown up and over Heero's shoulder to land him ungracefully hard and flat on his back. Quicker than he thought possible, considering all the pain inflicted on his body, Marcus managed once again to gain his feet with both hands up in a defensive motion to block any further blows by the angry man pursuing him. He took a step backwards as he watched as the more than livid lover of Max Peacecraft stalk him across the room only to corner him and begin the pummeling once again. 

Heero's anger was hardly abated by the beating he gave the naked and defenseless man so deserving of his wrath. Even when Marcus lay still and huddled on the floor, and after he gave a last satisfying kick to the unconscious man at his feet, he felt very little satisfaction. It was only the muffled scream for attention behind him that made him stop. Some of the red haze of anger that enveloped his mind diminished at the sound of his lover's muffled pleading. Clenching and unclenching his bruised fists, willing himself to not follow his instinctive need to kill the vile person at his feet, he used all his mental and physical strength to will his body to turn away and move rapidly to the bed.

Duo's wet eyes met his, silently pleading for him to release him. Heero's hands moved to the knot behind his lover's head that held the gag in place. Muffled sobs and tears displayed the depth of Duo's upset.

"Shh, I'm hurrying," Heero whispered keeping his eyes locked with Duo's and forcing himself not to fall apart himself, but to be strong for his distraught lover.

At last the piece of cloth was removed from Duo's sore and abused mouth and Duo blurted out, "Where's May, Heero?" The question came out in a half sob, his frightened eyes searching the dark blue ones for an answer, obviously frantic about the young girl's welfare.

"She's downstairs sleeping. She's alright but she's been drugged." 

Duo nodded, and his chin trembled as he fought to control the feelings churning inside of him. "My drink tasted funny," he whispered. He then turned his head to look at the body on the floor. "Did you kill him?" he asked somewhat fearfully.

"I wanted to," Heero answered as he moved to begin untying the rope from his lover's right wrist. "But your voice stopped me."

"Thank God!" Duo whispered in a tone of gratitude as his body began to tremble.

Heero stopped to look questioningly at him. "Why?" he frowned. 

Duo's tear-filled eyes looked at him, obviously losing the battle to hold in his emotions. "Because then they would have taken you away from me, and I couldn't bear for that to happen, Heero. I can't lose you again." A tear rolled down his cheek to land on his bare shoulder.

Heero put his hand on his lover's cold cheek. "Then I'm glad too," he said. "Because then I'd have to break out of prison and we'd be on the run from the law for the rest of our lives."

A small smile issued from Duo's sore lips. "Just like old times, during the war," he added.

Heero bent and kissed the tip of his nose, knowing the light banter seemed to be calming his traumatized lover. "The good old days," he said smiling just slightly. But his smile faded when he felt the slender body beneath him trembling.

"I'm sorry Heero." Duo's face crumbled as the dam of emotions burst and all the rage, fear and frustration he'd felt in the last hour came crashing down on him. "I didn't know he'd do something like that. He...he...said he wanted to be my friend. He tried...to..."

Heero stopped him from going on, seeing the distress in Duo's eyes and the emotional pain he was in was tearing him apart. "Shh, love. I know what he was about to do, he's done it to others."

"He told me that, too," Duo said as he struggled to not cry openly. "He talked the whole time about pleasure and pain and how he'd done this to others. He said I was his prize."

Heero moved quickly back to the ropes and untied the first hand, freeing it. Duo immediately grabbed hold of Heero's leg resting next to him, clinging to is as a safe anchor. "We'll make sure he never has a chance to do this to anyone ever again," Heero said determinedly as he began on the other wrist. The moment it was free, Duo flung himself up at his chest, their arms wrapped around each other as the slender, naked body continued to tremble against him.

"I'm so cold," Duo complained, nestling his face into Heero's neck for more warmth and comfort.

"Let me finish untying you," Heero said, reluctantly removing himself from Duo's tight hold. In less than two minutes he was free and Heero gathered up the quilt on the top of the bed and wrapped it around his lover's trembling body, then shifted him so that he was situated securely on his lap, his arms kept him snugly against his chest to reinforce the idea that he was safe. Feeling further need to comfort, Heero began to gently rock back and forth, lulling them both into a calmer state of mind.

Moving slightly, Heero reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat for his cell phone. Retrieving it, he turned it on and hit a speed dial button. "Wufei, I need you to come to the Sheffield Estate. Marcus drugged Duo and May and he molested Duo." He said in a tight voice. There was a slight pause. "He's still alive, barely." Another pause, a bit longer. "No," he said unhappily. "I don't want them, I want you." With a sigh, Heero began again after Wufei stopped speaking. "I know this falls under the local police jurisdiction, but Duo is upset and I don't want him to deal with a stranger." Wufei must have agreed to whatever Heero wanted, for his last comments were, "Yes, you better call them." He then disconnected the connection and put the phone in his side pocket.

"Heero?" Duo's voice came out sounding quiet and unsure.

"I'm here," he answered, and kissed the top of Duo's head resting against his shoulder. 

"He took pictures of me before I woke up and all the time he was..." he stopped, not able to speak yet of what had happened. "He said he would publish them on the Internet if you or I came after him. He threatened to ruin the Peacecraft name and humiliate me at the same time. I..I think they're really bad Heero." Feeling shame and humiliation from his verbal reminder of what had happened, Duo buried his face into the safety of Heero's neck.

"I'll destroy them," Heero said, his eyes lit on the camera sitting on a tripod at the opposite side of the bed. He was mildly surprised he hadn't seen it when he'd gone after Marcus, but he saw it now and thought of all the destructive pictures that were inside it. "Did he have a chance to download it onto his computer?"

Duo shook his head no. "The disc just ran out of space just before..." his voice choked and he could say no more.

Heero moved his armful from off his lap and placed him back on the bed. Then standing at the side of the bed, he moved to the camera, bent on destroying it. He released the camera from the tripod and removed the disc from it and slipped it into his pocket. Looking up, he saw that Duo hadn't taken his eyes from off of him.

"I think I'd better go and check on May and unlock the front door for Wufei," he told Duo who was looking unsure of everything.

"Don't leave me here with him," Duo pleaded anxiously, his wide eyes begging the same.

Heero quickly moved back to the bed and picked Duo up, blanket and all, and carried him from the room; neither gave a look of any kind to the man lying unconscious and bloody on the floor as the left.

After carefully descending the stairs, Heero unlocked the front door, then proceeded to the television room where he'd found the sleeping girl. Sitting in the large, over-stuffed chair next to her, Heero continued to hold Duo while they waited.

It was only a few minutes before the anxious voice of Milliardo Peacecraft was heard, loud and clear through the near empty house. "Max? May?"

"In here," Heero called back. "The t.v. room."

Within seconds, the tall blond man and his shaken looking wife came bursting into the room. "What's happened?" Milliardo asked even as they reached the sitting area. Lucretia went to May while her husband knelt next to the chair where Heero held his son. Red rimmed and tear-filled eyes peeked out from under Heero's neck.

"I'm okay," Duo said, sniffing back the tears. "Heero saved me just in time."

Ice blue eyes turned to Heero for more information. "Marcus drugged both May and Duo. He tied Duo up and was in the process of raping him when I got here."

Lucretia gasped, and with wide, horrified eyes, turned to her son. She immediately moved to him and wrapped her arms tightly around both he and Heero. Milliardo joined her as both of them murmured words of sadness and encouragement to their son. And that's the scene Wufei arrived to see. Five minutes later, Sally arrived carrying her black emergency bag, having been called in by Wufei as soon as he'd received Heero's urgent call. She was immediately sent upstairs to look at the wounded and unconscious perpetrator.

The television room was quite with the exception of a few sniffling sounds as the five waited in quiet agitation until Sally returned five minutes later. "I've called for an ambulance," she said as she made her way to the sitting area. She went first to the sleeping girl, her head and shoulders held against Lucretia's body. Sally did a brief check to make sure she was alright then turned to Milliardo. 

"I think you should take her home now. She'll be disoriented and maybe a bit disconcerted and ill when she wakes up as it is. You won't want her to wake up here and discover what's gone on."

The tall blond man nodded, then looked to Duo. "Do you want to go home now Max?" he asked gently.

"I'll need to question him." Wufei cut in. "He might feel easier about it without an audience." 

"He stays with me in any case," Heero said softly, but his tone indicated it was more of a demand than any suggestion.

"Duo?" Lucretia questioned.

"I'll be safe with Heero," Duo replied quietly from within the safety of the blanket that was draped around his naked body and held in his lover's strong, protecting arms.

Milliardo stood and went to the couch, then lifted his sleeping daughter into his arms. His wife rose from her position but went to kneel next to her son. "Duo, we love you," she whispered. "Come home when you're ready, okay?"

The head hidden against Heero nodded. Lucretia then looked to the intense young man holding her son. "I'm trusting you with something so very precious to me, Heero," she said looking directly at the young man Duo had always loved. "Please, take care of him."

"I know, and I will, thank you," he replied, his hand coming up to rub at Duo's blanket covered back.

After soft words of farewell, the two concerned parents turned with their daughter in their care and left the room with Sally hurrying ahead to escort them to the front door. They left with only a slight hesitant look back. Both of the adults who had been so involved in Duo's life for the last three years felt the deep need to take him home. Tp shelter and keep him safe, but they both relinquished that need, knowing in their hearts that it was Heero's shelter that their Max really needed and now sought.

As the room grew still with their absence, Wufei took the spot on the couch that May had been asleep on and paused a moment before he began his duty. With a gentle and quiet voice he began. "Duo, I'm sorry this happened to you, but I need to ask you some questions. This really should be a local constable taking your statement, but being a Preventer, my report will stand as your statement as to what happened here tonight."

Duo's head rose from out of the safety of the blanket and from under Heero's chin. "Does this have to be made public?" he asked, his face pale and his eyes swollen and red. 

"I'm afraid that your last name and Standish's are too well known for the press to just let this pass by."

"Then I have nothing to say," Duo said angrily and turned his face back into Heero's chest.

Wufei turned his eyes in a silent appeal to Heero. The former Wing Zero pilot was in a severe protective mode, but when his dark, hooded eyes, fraught with worry, raised to meet his friend's, he paused a moment before nodding his head in agreement to Wufei's unspoken plea. 

"Duo." Heero's voice was soft and reassuring as he addressed his lover. He pulled the blanket wrapped body just slightly away from his own so he could look into the red-rimmed eyes. He paused to tenderly brush the long strands of hair away from Duo's dry tear-stained face, then pushed the mass over the back of his shoulders. It was then that both he and Wufei saw the painful bite marks on the side of his long, slender neck and on his ear lobe. Heero took in a shuddering breath, trying to remain composed for Duo's sake. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his lover's temple. "You weren't Marcus's first victim, Duo, but you can make sure that you're the last." he said with effort, then forced himself to continue. "A friend of Relena's attending the function tonight was the one that tipped me off that something could be wrong. She was also one of Marcus's victims. She saved you from what he was going to do tonight, and we owe it to her to see that he can't hurt or threaten her again. If you testify against him, others are bound to come out and add their voice to yours. You can put him away for a very long time."

Duo pulled himself closer, burying his face within the lapels of Heero's tuxedo. "It's too humiliating," he choked out, his voice muffled against the fabric.

"You did nothing wrong. It was his actions that will put him in jail," Heero said forcefully. "You're the victim, of just how many we'll probably never know."

Sally came back into the room just then. "When I called for an ambulance, the local authorities picked up on the call. They'll be here in five minutes," she warned them. After hesitating a moment, she moved closer to the three and knelt down on a knee next to Heero, positioning herself so that he could look into Duo's face. 

"Do I need to get a rape kit?" she asked softly, her eyes sad with concern.

"No." Duo choked on the word, and the next words came out in a low voice filled with shame. "He only penetrated me with his fingers."

Heero stroked the blanket covering his arm, reassuring his lover with his touch.

Wufei nodded to Sally. "If you'll give me a moment to take his statement, then you can treat any wounds he has." Sally looked at the Chinese Preventer questioningly and Wufei lip-synced the words, "Bite marks." Sally looked at Duo in concern, but nodded her head and made to leave the room.

"Alright Duo," Wufei began again in a gentle tone voice. "Start at the beginning of the evening and tell me what happened to the best of your recollection." A quiet click of a small, hand-held tape recorder sounded as Wufei hit the record button to tape Duo's statement.

With Heero's encouragement, the long haired young man began in a shaky, halting voice to describe the first leisure hour or more spent in and by the pool. Marcus was pleasant and polite, he told them, and gave no hint as to what he had planned for the night. He then described the pool-side drinks Marcus had prepared for he and his sister and, as he began to become sleepy, he remembered seeing May asleep before the drugs forced him to close his own eyes. 

He didn't know how long he was out, but when he opened his eyes again, it was after being slapped into consciousness. He described in detail what he observed as he became aware of his surroundings and what Marcus was up to as well as all that Marcus had said: his threats, posturing and bragging. He told of Marcus gagging him when he uttered Heero's name, and that his captor then began a series of kisses over his body followed by painful nips and bites. In an almost inaudible voice he spoke of Marcus's practiced and titillating touches, used to cause he body to react. When Marcus deemed that he's given some pleasure, Duo spoke painful slaps or pinches to sensitive parts of his body. All the while during then seemingly endless torture, Marcus spouted his theory of pain and pleasure being the ultimate in sensations. All of the touching and pain led to the point of Marcus penetrating his body with his dry fingers, causing as much pain as possible, then going down on him, saying afterwards that forcing someone to experience pleasure in the most invasive form of attacks was, indeed, power at its finest.

After hastily wiping at a tear from off his cheek, Duo brought his hand up to circle around his lover's neck, the blanket shifting to slide off his shoulder. "He worked both his mouth and his fingers until my body gave him what he wanted," Duo's body shuddered with revulsion at the memory of that too recent violence against him to forget the utter feeling of violation, shame and betrayal he felt as Marcus rose up and moved up his traitorous body, licked his lips, and smiled the smile of a victor. 

Just the thought of that moment of complete, unwanted capitulation to his rapist caused his stomach heave. Throwing himself away from Heero, Duo landed on his knees, tangled in the blanket. He managed to push the blanket and his hair aside just in time for his stomach to convulse and he threw up the entire contents of his stomach onto the white shag carpet. He felt Heero's hand gently stroking his back as he dry heaved several times before his body stopped, having had enough.

"Done?" Heero asked, concerned.

Nodding his head, he felt strong hand lifting him up again and re-wrapping the blanket over his nakedness. Despite the fact that he now smelled of sex, sweat and vomit, Heero held him close, and Duo loved him for it. "Take me home, Heero." His voice was small and pleading. "I wanna go home."

Wufei stood from the couch and turned off the recorder. "I'll go get your clothes," he offered. "Do you know where they are?"

"We used the pool house to change into our swim wear," Duo answered.

"I'll go see if I can find them." Silently Wufei turned from the two and left the room.

As Duo's body began to relax within the safety of Heero's hold, the pain of his many wounds became more apparent to his shocked system and he uttered a low moan.

"It's alright, Duo. I'll have you home in five minutes and in your bed."

"No, Heero," came the swift reply. "I want to go to our home, the one you built for me. I want to go home."

Heero paused before answering, dealing with a myriad of emotions that resulted from that one, simple statement. He was inwardly thrilled that Duo had accepted the house he built as his home, their home. But was he wanting to go with him only because he had been violated by Marcus, or because he really wanted to be with him. He was suddenly fearful that if Duo came home with him for the wrong reasons now, that sooner or later he would regret it and leave him after he'd had time to reflect on his decision made under such strained circumstances.

"Your family will be worried about you if you don't go home to them," he told him, taking the logical argument and allowing Duo to re-think his decision.

His lover's hold around his neck tightened, as if sensing Heero's hesitation. "Have Wufei tell them I need to be with you. They can come visit me in the morning," he replied, his lips moving against the skin of Heero's neck.

"Alright, Duo. Whatever you want." Heero knew he would never be able to deny Duo anything he really needed whether it was right or wrong. He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake for both their sakes.

The red-rimmed and pained-looking eyes turned up to meet the concerned deep blue ones. "All I've ever wanted or needed is you, Heero, and a life with you," Duo whispered, his eyes brimming with the emotions that honest, vulnerable statement caused. 

Heero gently pulled his lover back into a tucked, protective position against his body. "I feel the exact same way Duo," he replied. "I don't think I've always known that was what I was feeling, but now, in retrospect, I can see that it's always been you that has made me whole. The home I built will only be complete when you are living in it." He kissed the soft hair beneath his cheek and they sat silently holding onto each other until Wufei returned several minutes later.

The black haired Preventer returned just as the sounds of activity could be heard at the front door. Heero told their friend of their plans to leave for their mountain home and asked Wufei if he would inform Milliardo and Lucretia where Duo had gone when he went to pick up Heero's car, still parked in the Peacecraft driveway. Wufei agreed to the request and left the folded bundle of clothes on the sofa, then quickly left the room in order to direct and assist the policemen and ambulance personnel to the bedroom upstairs.

Using the few moments left to themselves, Heero stood and put Duo on his feet and next to the chair which he could lean against. Then once he was sure his traumatized lover could stand on his own, he moved to the pile of clothing and unfolded the sky blue, silk boxers. He knelt down and opened the elastic waistband and waited for Duo to step into them.

With the blanket still tightly wrapped around him, the long haired young man wobbled a bit as he lifted right foot and quickly put his hand on the top of the chair to steady himself. He slowly put both feet into the appropriate places and Heero pulled the silky material up his legs and over his hips. With the same care and gentleness, his jeans and t-shirt were also put on around the blanket.

Once dressed, Duo raised his hurt eyes and tragic expression to Heero, silently looking for reassurance. The Japanese man read the signs and took his lover into his arms once again. "Ready to go home?" he asked.

"You are home, Heero," came the welcomed reply.

"Then let's get out of here." Heero smiled at the warmth he felt in his chest, then turned his body so that he could put his arm around Duo's shoulder as he led him from the room out towards the front door. 

They were met briefly in the grand foyer by Wufei, then he moved off quickly to intercept several policemen moved who were moving in their direction. With a wave of his arm, he motioned them to move outside to his car parked out front. Behind the familiar, deep blue SUV was the ambulance and police cars with their lights flashing brightly against the darkness of the night. It was clear from the open double doors of the emergency medical vehicle and the missing gurney that they hadn't brought Marcus down yet.

"Mr. Yuy, we need a statement from you and the victim." One of the local authorities called out as he followed them down the entry stairs.

"Tomorrow is soon enough," Wufei said in a sharp tone to the man, giving him a silent warning to back off.

"I understand you called Preventer Chang in because he's a friend, but I really must insist," the older man persisted as he approached the three, his eyes on Heero and the young man sheltered under his arm.

Wufei handed the older man his tape recorder. "Here is Mr. Peacecraft's statement on what occurred tonight. Use this to charge Mr. Standish with kidnaping, use of illegal drugs, sexual assault, attempted rape, and the intent to commit extortion. I'll be up in a minute to help search his room for more evidence. This isn't the first time he's done this," he told the man bearing the look of barely masked surprise on his face.

Quickly exchanging his car keys for Heero's, the young Preventer turned to face the man who had his recorder in order to give Heero time to get Duo in the car and make their escape. "Mr. Peacecraft is in a state of shock, and needs to get into a warm bed. I'll follow up tomorrow with Mr. Yuy's statement and send it to you as well."

Seeing that the Preventer was more than willing to do a lot of his footwork, the investigating lieutenant nodded his agreement. "I'll hold you to your word, Mr. Chang," he said, then turned to re-enter the house as he pushed the button to rewind the tape recorder.

"And I expect to get my recorder back tomorrow," Wufei called out to the retreating man. 

The Chinese young man turned back and watched as Heero shut the front door of his car, securing Duo inside, then moving quickly to the driver's side. "I'll see you tomorrow, Heero," he told his friend.

"Not too early," Heero cautioned in all seriousness as he climbed into the sport vehicle, started the engine, then left some impressive tire tracks on the Standish driveway as he sped the two of them away.

The drive up the mountain was done in silence. Duo lay on his side with his head resting on Heero's thigh as Heero maneuvered the car up the winding, steep slope of the mountain. Not sure as to what he should do or say to make his lover more comfortable, Heero kept his hand, as much as possible given the dangerous road, on Duo's shoulder, trying to lend him his own strength.

It seemed like forever and a day before they drove up the dark driveway to the house. Shutting off the engine, he patted Duo's arm. "We're home," he announced softly.

Duo nodded and slowly sat up, wrapping his arms around his chest as he looked up at the dark house, lit up on the outside only by the half moon and the stars high above them. He waited in his seat until Heero got out of the car and went to the passenger side of the door and opened it. With a hand on Duo's elbow, he helped him out of the seat, then put his arm around him again to lead him up the stairs and onto the front porch.

Within moments they were inside and Duo made his way to the large blackberry colored leather couch. He sat down on the edge and stared ahead in an apparent daze at the blank television screen before him.

Heero watched him with concern, then made his way to the kitchen area to retrieve a first aid kit. He returned to his love just as Duo picked up the television's remote control sitting on the coffee table and turned on the large screen t.v.

"I need to clean your wounds, Duo." Heero said as he sat next to his pale companion.

"I'm cold," Duo said listlessly, and shivered violently to prove his statement.

Within moments, a fire was lit in the fireplace and a blanket was thrown over the slender shoulders.

"I'll give you a moment or two to warm up, but then we really need to tend to those bites. Too many bacteria are in the mouth and you chance infection the longer they go un-doctored."

Suddenly feeling very tired, Duo merely nodded and lay back against the back of the couch, signaling to Heero that his body was at his disposal.

"How about a hot bath first?" Heero said as he reached down and clasped the pair of cold hands that lay limp on either side of his traumatized lover.

Duo didn't respond other than allowing himself to be drawn up and off the couch. They silently made their way to the master bathroom and the large sunken Jacuzzi bathtub that looked to be a duplicate of the one in Heero's apartment in Relena's palace. At Heero's request, Duo began to carefully undress himself while his attentive lover began to fill the bathtub.

When it was sufficiently filled, Heero turned back to the silent man behind him. Duo was undressed except for his boxers, and there seemed to be a sudden shyness that Duo hadn't exhibited since their first time together during the first war. He also held his arms crossed protectively over his chest.

"Come on, Love. The water will get cold if you wait too long," Heero invited, still crouched down by the bath.

Duo took a hesitant step forward, then another, his eyes focused entirely on Heero's. As he came nearer and with the light in the bathroom being brighter than it had been during the whole ordeal at the Sheffield Estate, Heero began to see the physical damage that had been done to the body he had worshiped only the night before. Bruises from the restraints around his wrists and ankles were becoming more apparent, as were the bite marks and bruises from Marcus sucking on the fair skin. Heero frowned fiercely, thinking of the ways he'd punish Marcus for touching what was his, that is if he ever had the misfortune to meet the sick bastard again. 

Duo, seeing Heero's frown at his near naked body took it to mean anger at him. "I'm sorry Heero. I didn't want him to touch me," he whispered in an anxious tone.

Heero looked up in surprise. "There is nothing for you to ask forgiveness for, Duo. You are not responsible for what happened."

The long haired man looked confused. "But you were just looking at me like you were angry," he said.

Quickly standing, Heero took the two steps to reach Duo, then he pulled him in for a hug, made awkward by Duo's arms still being folded over his chest. "Not you, Duo. Never you. I was thinking of ways to kill Standish for what he's done to you."

"Get in line behind me," Duo replied, with no trace of his normal humor in his voice.

"Do you want me to take your boxers off?" Heero asked, looking into his lover's face for an answer.

Duo nodded, than swallowed with difficulty.

It was a simple task, but it still took several moments, because as Heero worked the silk off of Duo's legs, he saw more evidence of abuse. The inside of each of Duo's thighs had been bitten. The impression of large, perfectly spaced teeth were visible and on the left inside thigh, the blood that had oozed from the broken flesh had dried on the pale and tender thigh.

Heero would have touched them, but knew the memory and trauma that Duo had gone through was too painful at the moment to go over, and the wound itself must be causing Duo a great deal of discomfort.

His finger traced around the bite on his right inside thigh. "You didn't tell me about these," he said quietly, careful to not sound accusing. He looked up to see Duo's pained eyes looking down on him. 

"I...I couldn't Heero." His eyes shifted away from the intense blue ones looking into his soul.

Heero looked suspiciously at the arms placed strategically across Duo's abdomen. "Are there any other wounds you're trying to hide from me?" he asked. "I'll need to see them anyway in order to clean and bandage them."

Duo nodded, then slowly, hesitatingly lowered his arms to his sides, then turned his fists outward to show Heero all the damage.

Heero was hard pressed not to gasp in revulsion or to scream his rage. In the dim lit bedroom at the Standish mansion, the wounds to Duo's nipples should have been visible to him, but he was so focused on punishing Marcus and releasing Duo in order to comfort him that he'd somehow missed the hideous bite marks that surrounded each nipple. His eyes then strayed to the side where each underside of Duo's upper arms also had matching, angry looking teeth marks, though the skin didn't look broken..

"It was all about pain and pleasure." Duo's voice hitched as he spoke. "My pain and his pleasure."

"Come." Heero stood and took Duo's elbow and helped him to settle down into the bath.

Duo stepped gingerly over the edge of the deep tub and slowly began to sit, hissing as the warm water touched the wounds on his legs and then arms.

Heero handed him a wash cloth all lathered up with soap. "Why don't you try to wash off the wounds, I might be too clumsy and accidently hurt you if I do it for you."

Duo took the cloth and did as he was instructed, almost without thought, until he came to the open wounds, which he touched gingerly. Heero left the room for a few moments and returned, having changed out of his formal tuxedo into a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve tee-shirt. He sat on the closed toilet seat and let his lover bathe for only a few minutes before Heero indicated it was time to get out, then helped Duo back out and into a large bath towel. "You're tired and need rest," he said in explanation of the shortness of the bath. Duo uncharacteristically nodded in apparent meekness.

Leading him to the bed, Heero helped Duo to put on some boxers, then went to work, gently putting disinfectant cream on all the open wounds. He spoke in a calm voice about anything but what had happened that night, trying to distract his wounded lover from thinking too much about how each painful mark on his body that he was attending to had happened.

Clean, bandaged and dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a tee-shirt, Heero snagged a blanket and two pillows and led Duo by the hand out of the bedroom and back to the living room.

"Want something to eat or drink?" He asked the silent man in tow.

"A soda," was the quiet reply.

Having Duo sit on the couch once again, he went to get him a can of his favorite cola drink, then quickly returned.

Duo thoughtfully popped the top of the can, looked at it for just a moment, then began to guzzle the carbonated beverage down. Half the can was gone before he took a breather and placed the can on a coaster Heero had set out for him on the coffee table.

Heero lay down on the couch on his side and motioned for Duo to join him. His traumatized lover was suddenly quick to respond and settled himself inside Heero's open arms. The television was turned on to provided a nice, gentle nightlight and quiet background to their unsettled thoughts as the both of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

TBC


	13. part 13

Authors note: Hi, *waves to all those wonderful people who read my fics and drop me a line* I posted this chapter on Monday but never saw it surface on the GW reading page, just on my author's page. Did anyone else have difficulties logging in? Anyway, I'm re-posting this with only minor changes in hope that it will show up this time. I'll update this weekend. 

  
  


Second Chances

Part 13

By Dyna Dee

Please heed the warning and disclosure on the first page of the story. It's still R and definitely yaoi!

A soft, almost imperceptible knock sounded on the front door. Heero's eyes opened immediately. Being careful not to move abruptly and wake his lover, who was finally resting peacefully in his arms, he slowly lifted his head and shoulders, just enough to looked over the armrest of the couch and back at the front door. Through the small window in the center of it he could see that it was Wufei who had knocked. Their eyes locked as their Chinese friend stood patiently outside on the front porch, gazing through the small window for a signal to enter. Carefully moving his upper arm, Heero made a motion with his hand for his friend to come inside.

Purposely having left the door unlocked, his eyes followed as Wufei silently opened it and entered, the shut it behind him without making a sound. When he turned to face his two friends spooned up together on the couch, Wufei's dark eyes bore the look of concern, and it was clear to Heero watching him that he felt slightly uncomfortable at the intrusion. Bending down, he removed his shoes and, leaving them by the door, walked in his dark, stockinged feet soundless across the wood floor to the seating area and noted that Duo was still asleep. Wufei's gaze then returned to Heero's face. "How is he?" he asked with a worried look on his face while keeping his voice down to a whisper.

"He'll be alright," Heero whispered back confidently. "He just needs time to find his feet again and come to terms with what's happened."

Wufei nodded. Duo was always a bounce-back person. A lesson learned after so many disappointments in his young life. But now, in seeing Heero taking such tender care of him, Wufei had no doubt that Duo would be as he had said, alright.

"Two of the planet's and colonies' greatest worriers are about twenty minutes behind me." Wufei told Heero with a slight apologetic grin on his face. "So prepare yourself for Quatre's mothering and Trowa's silent but attentive fussing."

Heero nodded. "I think Duo will like having them here," he whispered back.

Wufei moved the half filled coffee cup and coke can aside and sat on the edge of the large and sturdy mahogany coffee table facing his reclining friends. He quietly contemplated the two before him. "I take it you're re-entering this relationship with an eye to permanency," he said to Heero, raising one questioning eyebrow.

The young man who had come to be his good friend during Duo's absence nodded his answer and gently moved a strand of long hair from off Duo's face. He paused a moment to silently observe how peaceful his lover looked while sleeping. By the tranquil expression on his relaxed face, it seemed almost impossible that he'd gone through the ordeal he had the night before. 

Heero sighed, then rested his cheek against Duo's head. "Funny how things turn our, isn't it Wufei. In my case, I guess the saying is true that you don't know what you've got until it's gone," Heero replied to Wufei's query as his arms returned to holding the long haired man's body gently but possessively against his own. "You know, I always felt Duo was the only one for me, but during the wars I didn't know how to express or even outwardly accept it, not like he needed me to." Heero frowned slightly as he continued, feeling an unusual need to talk to someone. "I thought that, if we time spent apart after the war, that it would be good for us. I needed to come to terms with how I felt about him and to learn how to communicate my feelings to him other than physically." He sighed slightly and shook his head, looking decidedly unhappy about his past decisions. 

Wufei noticed Heero was looking slightly exasperated as he brought his hand up to run it through his wildly tossed hair. He listened intently as Heero then continued. "At the time, I also thought Duo needed to experience life away from me, to see if I was truly what he wanted in a partner. Damn but I was willing to take a chance and step back from our troubled relationship and be patient, to wait for him to grow up and mature while we were living separately after the wars. In my mind, I did it all with the hope that he would come back to me because he would have decided it was truly me he wanted to be with. And that was when I was going to tell him how I felt." 

Wufei watched his friend as he sorted through his emotions and the past, and listened closely to Heero's words, knowing it was rare indeed for him to share them with anyone, and he was honored that his friend felt he was worthy of such a gift of trust. With his sharp eyes, he observed Heero's blue eyes cloud suddenly, his mouth frown as he studied Duo's hand resting close to his face. Heero continued on in a hushed voice. "When he ran from us, from me, because of our rejection, I knew immediately that I'd lost the best thing that I'd ever had. I came to know then that I had to change if I was ever going to hope to have another chance with him; with Relena's help, I did make some progress. Everything I accomplished during the time Duo was gone was with the hope that he'd come back one day and give me a second chance." His eyes rose up to look intently into Wufei's. "I can't tell you how lucky I feel that he did come back, Wufei, and has granted me what I wanted most. I believe I have learned enough to know that I've now got the real thing, the right thing, and I'm in it for good," he told his friend resolutely, the fervency of his voice telling of the truth behind his words.

Wufei gave his friend a small, sincere smile as his eyes softened. "I'm glad, Heero," he said in a quiet voice. "I always thought you two were good for each other during the war. Duo smoothed your sharp edges and you gave him balance. I never fully understood, until just now, why you two split up and went your separate ways. It just didn't make sense for two people, who seemed to be a matched set in so many ways, to not be together."

Heero reached up behind him, blindly searching on the back of the couch for the television's remote control. Finding it, he switched off the television that had been running all night with the mute button activated. "We just sort of drifted apart," Heero replied to Wufei's statement. "The war was painful for the both of us, and I believed we were too young and emotionally damaged to decide who we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with. I was possessive of Duo and careless with my life. Duo, on the other hand, was like a wild child, wanting to party all the time and constantly into trouble." Heero looked back into Wufei's concerned face. "Yet somehow we were together. How many teenagers do you know that fall in love young and manage to stay in love in their twenties and thirties?" he asked his friend. "I knew that I wanted only him, but I didn't know if I could trust my feelings after the war, and I wasn't sure of his true feelings for me and couldn't bring myself to question him or his reasons for wanting to be with me. I was a coward," Heero said disgustedly with a slow shake of his head. "I didn't think I could bear to hear him say he wanted to pursue other possibilities that didn't include me in his future, so I let him go. It was easier to deal with his absence, telling myself it was only temporary, giving us both time to grow up, than to think he was really leaving me behind."

"That was rather risky, don't you think?" Wufei questioned.

"If I could go back, I'd do a lot of things differently."

"But now you have your second chance, Heero, and you can do things differently this time around." Wufei smiled with encouragement.

Heero only nodded and pressed his lips to the top of Duo's head.

Wufei's smile diminished and he sighed, deciding it was time to discuss some business. "Duo will have to meet with a police official today to confirm the statement he made to me last night. They'll have it typed up and he'll need to read and sign it," he said, keeping his voice down. "They'll want to talk to you, too."

"Can you stall it?" Heero asked, looking worried.

"I can try, but I doubt it," the non-uniformed Preventer replied.

Duo's eyes suddenly opened and he took in a quick breath of air. Feeling Heero's arms tighten slightly in reassurance, he focused his sleep-filled eyes on the person in front of him. "Wufei?" he questioned in a sleepy voice and moved to wipe the sleep and blurriness from his eyes.

"Morning Duo," Wufei greeted his smaller friend still encased in Heero's protecting embrace. "How are you this morning?" he asked.

Duo shifted and turned to face Heero. Reaching his hand up and putting it behind the dark haired head, he pulled Heero's face down for a quick but satisfying kiss, then returned to look back at Wufei. "Better," he replied with a grin.

Both of the other men in the room silently sighed with relief. "Good," Wufei replied and smiled back. "Because Quatre and Trowa heard the news this morning and are on their way up here to take care of you two."

Duo's eyes widened at the news, then he gave a surprising smile. "Do you think we can talk Trowa into making crepes?" he asked, effectively changing the subject. "If my memory serves me right, he makes the best ones I've ever had."

Wufei and Heero shared an amused smile, glad to hear Duo speaking more like himself. "I'm sure that, for you, he'd cook all morning." Wufei chuckled.

All three silently acknowledged the shared feeling of normalcy returning and each felt, in his own way, that even though another challenge had come their way, they would survive it and come out stronger for surviving another of life's hurdles.

Heero sat up, bringing Duo with him, yet still managed to keep his arm securely draped over his shoulders as he broached the next subject. "What's the news on Standish?" he asked Wufei.

"He's in police custody at the hospital and will be formally charged today with assault, illegal use of a drug, and rape. I expect other people who have been his victims in the past will hear the news and will hopefully come forward to bring further charges against him. We searched his bedroom with a quickly obtained warrant and found a box in the back of his closet containing discs of pictures depicting step-by-step sexual assaults, similar to what Duo described, to various individuals that were tied up and raped in a variety of ways."

Duo's body shuddered as his memory flashed back to the past evening and remembering Marcus saying that they were just starting with the activities he had in mind for him. Heero's arm instinctively tightened around him, letting Duo know he was there to protect him.

"You better see that he's locked away for a very long time, Wufei." Heero's voice was dark and threatening after feeling his lover's body tremble against him. "Or I may have to finish what I started." From the look on his face, both of the other young men knew it was no idle threat that he made.

"Is May okay?" Duo asked, desperately needing to change the subject once again.

"She woke up early this morning, apparently none the worse for the evening or the drug. Milliardo and Lucretia will tell her this morning, when she's a bit more coherent, what happened to you." 

"I wish we didn't have to tell her about this," Duo said, frowning unhappily. "She's young and innocent."

"All the better to warn her of the dangers out there," Heero replied and quickly kissed the sleep mussed hair on the top of his lover's head. "Standish was certainly a wolf in sheep's clothing. She is young, beautiful, and from a prominent, wealthy family. The very things Standish targeted you for. She needs to know that there are evil people in the world who could do her harm."

Duo moved to stand, wincing as he came to his feet and straightened. "I need to use the bathroom," he told the two, then turned and made his way out of the room.

"He doesn't look very well," Wufei said with concern as his eyes followed Duo moving slowly out of the room. "He's pale and has a pinched look about his face."

Heero frowned. "He's got some pretty severe bite marks on his body, Wufei. Would it help convict Standish if we had photographic evidence of his wounds, or will the other pictures you found be enough?"

Wufei thought a moment before answering, when he did, he looked at his friend apologetically. "I'll need to get photographs, though it would be better if he were to go to a hospital and have the wounds documented and treated there. A blood test would also have confirmed that he was drugged, but I suppose it's too late for that at this point."

"I already treated his wounds last night. Besides, he didn't want to go to the hospital and I wasn't going to force him. I still don't think he'll go today and I won't make him. He feels safe here."

Wufei nodded his head in understanding. All of them had shunned going to hospitals during the war, fearful of being discovered for what they were and being captured while in a helpless state. It seemed that fear and distrust of hospitals carried on after the war was long over. "Then let me go to my car and get my evidence camera so we can document the damage to his body. If we can't find the other victims or if they won't cooperate, we might only have Duo's testimony and the evidence of his attack on him to convict Standish."

"I'm going to go and check on him." Heero stood suddenly and looked towards the direction of the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "Do you want to make some tea or coffee?" Heero asked as he moved away from the couch.

"Duo likes coffee, so I'll make enough for all of us," Wufei said, then stood to make his way to the kitchen even as Heero walked towards the master bedroom.

He found his lover hunched over the toilet bowl having dry heaves. Heero knelt by his side and rubbed his back in soothing, circular motions. When at last Duo lifted his head, his eyes were watery from the strain of his body's reflex to empty his stomach, even though it was already empty.

"Better?" Heero asked.

Duo shook his head. "I thought so, but now I'm not so sure," he whispered back in a strained voice.

"Come on." Heero took his elbow and helped the smaller man to rise. "Why don't you brush your teeth and wash your face, then I'll tuck you into bed for a while and Wufei can serve the both of us coffee."

Duo wrapped his arms around his body in an attempt to hold himself together. "I don't want to go to bed," he said, suddenly sounding so young and vulnerable.

Heero turned his lover towards the sink and opened his medicine cabinet that held two toothbrushes and toothpaste along with an assortment of over the counter drugs. Duo lifted his eyes to the mirror as Heero pressed the newly unwrapped toothbrush in his hands and applied a small amount of paste to the brush.

A small smile appeared on the heart shaped face. "You've got a toothbrush just for me?" he asked in a tone that showed he was pleasantly surprised.

"I told you I built this house for you," Heero said in his familiar matter-of-fact tone, but as his eyes looked into the mirror to gaze into his lover's eyes reflected there, he wore the warmest of smiles on his face. "The toothbrush and a few other things were part of my hopeful dreams."

Duo leaned back into the strong chest behind him and reveled in the feel of the protective arms that gently surrounded him. He felt safe. Then tilting his head back just slightly, he let it rest against Heero's shoulder while keeping his eyes still focused on the deep blue ones watching him in the mirror. "You really did plan a future with me all along, didn't you?" he said in a quiet, bemused voice.

Heero nodded and their eyes stayed focused on each other in the mirror's reflection as a myriad of emotions passed between them. "A future with a firm commitment, Duo. Have I met all your needs yet? Do you want a future with me as much as I want one with you?"

Duo looked into the questioning eyes in the mirrored on the glass surface. In those deep, emotion-filled eyes he could clearly see himself reflected in them, and he thought for just a moment of all the things he had ever wanted and of all the things he told Heero he needed in a relationship. Turning within the protective embrace and laying his head on his lover's strong, supporting shoulder, he spoke from his heart. "You're offering me all I ever craved, Heero," he began. "A home, love, security, a future and commitment." His arms tightened slightly around the Japanese man's waist and he closed his eyes, even though the movement brought him pain, he luxuriated in the overwhelming feeling of love he felt for the other man. "I love you, Heero." he said in a strong whisper. "You are the home I've always needed, the security I've craved. I was just scared shitless that you didn't want the same things I did." 

Drawing back just enough to look his lover in the eyes, he searched their depths for the answers to the questions he was about to ask. "Are you sure this is what you want, Heero? You built all of this for me and planned a future for me, but is it me in reality that you really want, not just in the idealized me that you conjured during the last three years? Do you really want to settle for the only person you've ever been with? Can you honestly be content with me as the years go by, or will you regret that you never explored your options? Be very sure, Heero. " Duo admonished. "Because once you have me, you're never going to be rid of me."

"Duo." Heero stopped his lover's questioning. "I've wanted this for so long, just being with you. Don't go second guessing my motives. I've had three years to date others and seek out other relationships, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything other than plan for your return. I never wanted anyone else but you," he said firmly so that his temporarily unsure lover would not question his devotion. "Wufei called us a matched set, and I think he's right. Between the two of us, we can balance all the good and bad the future will bring, but only if we're together to meet it. Lets take this second chance with each other and go boldly forward with it."

There was an interrupting knock on the bedroom door that made them both flinch. "Coffee?" Wufei called out through it.

"Come on." Heero gave his lover a last squeeze before releasing him. "Finish brushing your teeth, then lets get something to eat with our coffee. I have toast, bagels and/or eggs."

"Toast," Duo said with a growing smile and raising the loaded toothbrush to his mouth. "I want to save room for whatever Quatre and Trowa bring with them. You can always count on them for good treats."

The other two pilots arrived nearly an hour after Wufei's arrival with several large paper bags filled with groceries. Quatre dropped his bag unceremoniously on the nearest chair and lunged for Duo for the hug of reassurance he felt they both needed. His gesture, however, brought about anything but the desired result. As he tightly embraced his friend, chest to chest, Duo cried out in pain and jumped back, falling against the leather couch and wrapping his hands over his chest in a protective manner.

"Duo, I hurt you, didn't I?" Quatre's blue eyes were wide with anxiety and guilt. "By Allah, I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault, Quatre," Duo said in a rather breathless voice, his face pinched with pain. "I got hurt last night and I just need to be somewhat careful."

It took a good five minutes to console their blond friend, and the only thing that really helped was when Duo asked if Trowa could make some crepes. Quatre leapt to volunteer for kitchen duty.

It was in the middle of the impromptu brunch that Milliardo, Lucretia and May arrived. It seemed an awkward reunion for the family with the room full of Duo's friends. May burst into tears as she threw herself against her brother's chest and held him in a tight embrace. His reaction was to bite his lip and scrunch up his face in pain, but endured in pain in relative silence. After many assurances that he was alright, the redheaded girl finally pulled herself off her brother's chest and stared at him.

"I'm so sorry, Max." She sniffed back more tears as they threatened to leak from her eyes. "I had no idea Marcus would ever hurt another person, much less my brother. What did he do to you Max? You look like you're in pain, did he hurt you?"

Duo looked to his parents with pleading eyes. Lucretia had watched him closely, frowning at his pale, pinched face. But as all color had drained from his skin, she moved forward, having understood the non-verbal plea for help. "Come, May," she said in a gentle voice as she pulled the girl away from her favorite person in the world. "Max is hurting and we need to let him have some space." The girl nodded, looking sad and hurt at the same time, leaving Duo to think that this was going to be a very long day.

Duo sat down on the couch, and the man the pilots had known as The Lightening Count sat next to him on the couch, on the opposite side from Heero. "Will you be coming home with us Max?" he asked, his eyes displaying his deep concern.

Duo took up Heero's hand, then looked back at his adopted father. "I am home," he said, quietly resolute, then a look of regret passed over his face. "I'm sorry Mil, I know I said I'd stick around for a bit longer, but I feel safe here. This is the home Heero built for me, and I don't think I could feel safer anywhere else at the moment. I...I hope you aren't mad, because I've got so much to be thankful to you for." There was a tone of pleading in Duo's voice, he needed his adopted father to understand his decision and accept it.

"We just want you to be happy." The tall blond man answered with a slight smile full of affection for the young man he had called his son for the past three years. He'd always admired Duo for his strength and tenacity during the war, even if he was often considered a dreaded enemy. After the first war, when he had read the reports and learned of the boy from L-2's tragic history and his admiration grew for the young man's ability to survive and come out of such a place and circumstances a decent human being. Both he and his wife grew to love the former Deathscythe pilot in a similar way as that of a smaller brother as they watched him slowly overcome heartache from rejection and turned to befriend a young, insecure and guilt ridden young girl, taking her under his wing and building up her confidence, becoming the over-protecting brother May needed so badly. Without a doubt, both he and his wife knew they had made the right choice in bringing Duo into their family. Now it seemed it was time to let go, though it felt too soon. Stemming from the incident the night before, it appeared that now it was Duo who was in need of that same kind of compassion, protection and mental security he'd given to May, and now he'd was choosing Heero as the one to give it to him.

"I am happy." Duo smiled sincerely, then turned to grace Heero, sitting on the other side of him, with a glowing smile reflecting his heartfelt feelings for him.

"Then we back your decision one hundred percent." Lucretia said, smiling gently as Duo looked to her and found herself unable to hold back the moisture welling up in her eyes as she stood next to the couch holding May at her side, an arm draped comfortingly over the girl's slender shoulders.

Duo stood slowly and went to his adopted mother, his friend, and gently embraced her, placing his head on her shoulder. "Heero is my home now," he told her in a soft voice, "but you are my family. I'll never forget that, not what you've done for me. I won't let you be rid of me so easily."

Zechs looked to his wife's face to see her eyes were set on him; she seemed to be sad and happy at the same time. He understood exactly what she was feeling as he felt the same way. They were both happy for Duo to have his life back with Heero again, where he always longed to be, but sad that they had to let him go from their daily lives.

Wufei's cell phone rang and he quickly left the room to answer it. He returned to the several moments later to see everyone had taken a seat and the television was on the news channel.

"Heero," he called out softly. Reluctantly the dark headed man left his warm place at Duo's side to join him. Standing in the kitchen, Wufei spoke in a low voice to his friend. "Lieutenant Dawson is the police investigator on Standish's case, and he just called to get your address and directions. He'll be here in a half hour."

Heero drew his hand through his messy dark brown hair. "We've got other people here, Wufei. This could be very awkward for Duo."

"I still need to get pictures of his wounds and I think he would rather I take them than this policeman, who may just insist Duo be brought to a hospital."

"No, we'll do it here, in our bedroom." Heero firmly insisted. "Get your camera and I'll bring Duo in."

Wufei grabbed the camera he'd brought in earlier from off the bar separating the kitchen from the living room and moved quickly to the bedroom. He waited for several moments, not looking forward to putting his friend in another uncomfortable situation.

He looked up and met both young men's eyes as they entered the room. Both appeared less than happy about the situation, but Duo looked more apprehensive then he'd ever seen him before. They stood there for a moment in awkward silence, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Wufei cleared his throat as he unzipped the case protecting his camera.

"If you'd like to remove your shirt, you can show me any injuries you have from the waist up," he suggested. Duo nodded, but stood passive as Heero turned to him and began to work with caution to take off his shirt. Wufei moved away to give them some small amount of privacy and to turn on all the lights in the room for better lighting. When he returned to them, Duo was looking down at his chest where Heero was trying to painlessly remove the last two bandages that covered his nipples.

"You can start with my ear." Duo said in a subdued voice. He pushed his hair behind his right ear and revealed the red, swollen ear lobe that had been hidden during the morning visit. 

Wufei couldn't help the sharp intake of air that escaped him. That bite mark gave the appearance of being horribly painful and looked like a doctor needed to see it. He took two pictures of the abused earlobe while Heero dutifully held the long, brown hair back for a clear shot. Next came the much slighter bite on his neck and the two under the inside of his biceps. While bruising and the tooth impressions looked painful, they weren't as deep and nasty looking as the one on Duo's ear. Then Heero carefully removed the loosened bandages from off Duo's nipples.

"Shit!" Wufei growled angrily under his breath and quickly snapped several pictures of the painful looking bites. Without a doubt Standish was a sick individual, he thought. "Any more?" he questioned, hoping there would be a negative answer. Instead, he watched as Duo's hands moved down to unfastened the top of his pants.

"Don't forget the bruising on his wrists and ankles," Heero reminded Wufei in a hushed voice, probably modulating it in order to keep Duo calm. He then knelt down and removed the slippers from Duo's feet so that the pant legs would slide off more easily, revealing the discolored skin just above his feet where the ropes had been tied. 

Wufei watched with troubled eyes as Duo lifted the inside legs of his boxers to reveal the twin bite marks on each of his pale, upper thighs, then turned his feet outward so he could get a better picture of the bruising wounds. Quickly taking the photographic evidence of his inner thighs and then several of his ankles and wrists, Wufei stood, his troubled eyes meeting those of his injured friend. "I'm so sorry, Duo," he whispered sincerely, holding back his emotions as Duo's tortured gaze met his. Impulsively but with caution, he moved a couple of steps closer to stand in front of his boxer clad friend and slowly bought his face to rest against Duo's, his bronze cheek pressed gently next to the fair cheek. Bringing his right hand up, he touched the bare shoulder to give Duo a loose hug, not wanting to hurt him any further. "I'm just so sorry," Wufei said in an agonized whisper.

He felt Duo nod his acceptance of his offered sympathy, then took a step back to give his friend room. Clearing his throat and composing himself, Wufei looked down at his camera as he began to put the case back on it. "You'll have time to dress before Lieutenant Dawson shows up," he informed them. "If you want to stay in here, I'll explain to the others and bring him to you when he arrives."

Heero looked to Duo for direction and, when Duo nodded, he turned to Wufei. "We'll wait here. Tell the others to make themselves at home, but to not disturb us for a while."

"I'm not a doctor," Wufei began hesitantly, "but I think Duo needs to see one about those bites. He'll need a penicillin shot if nothing else. May I call Sally to come up here and see him? " Wufei zipped closed the case to his camera, and looked up to see Duo nod again and Heero give the okay. The Preventer, their friend, nodded in return, then turned from them after giving another look of sad apology and quietly left the two alone.

Lieutenant Dawson showed up on time and was led to the bedroom after a brief introduction to the people sitting apprehensively in the living room. The middle aged, balding and slightly pudgy man with a light brown mustache seemed polite enough, and schooled his reaction well for being in a room filled with such distinguished people as the Peacecrafts, and Quatre Winner. He seemed eager to attend to the business that brought him to the remote home, and asked to be shown to the victim of the crime, the younger Mr. Peacecraft.

The interview lasted no more than twenty-five minutes before the police detective reappeared in the living room. He asked to speak with May, and she chose to speak in front of everyone as her memory of the night before held none of the terror her brother had known.

It was a good fifteen minutes after the police officer left that Heero and Duo emerged, Duo was silent, looking a bit worse for the experience of dredging up his memory of the night before.

Sally showed up a half hour later, greeted everyone rather stiffly, then requested she and Duo go into the bedroom to treat the wounds Wufei had reported to her. Heero accompanied them, his hand in his lover's, giving him as much support and comfort that he needed to get through this day.

Another half hour passed before they returned. The six people in the living room looked anxiously at them. "I gave him a shot of penicillin and doctored his wounds as much as possible, she said looking directly to Duo's adopted parents. "Heero has been instructed to check him for any signs of infection or fever in the next week." She frowned deeply. "He should have be been taken to the hospital last night and been given a full exam and treatment after the attack. We can only hope that any dangerous bacteria hasn't gotten in any of the wounds."

"Wounds?" May asked looking startled.

Duo's hand tightened on Heero's, letting him know he didn't want his sister to know everything that had happened during the time she was peacefully sleeping on the couch downstairs while Marcus was tormenting and molesting him. Heero looked to the wide-eyed girl and answered. "Marcus bit Duo several times last night," he said with an unhappy frown. Duo lifted his hair and pulled it back again so she could see his re-bandaged ear and doctored neck wounds.

"But why?" May asked, clearly dismayed and not comprehending how someone would hurt anyone, much less her brother, like that.

"There are some people in this world who have a twisted and skewered idea about things like a relationship and physical intimacy, May. They are confused as to what's appropriate and inappropriate." It was Milliardo who spoke up in answering his daughter, saving Heero the discomfort of explaining something so tainted to an innocent. "Marcus is one of those disturbed individuals," he added.

The young, red-headed girl blinked several times, taking in all that she was told. She was young in years, but nevertheless, a brilliantly gifted girl who usually knew and could reason more then most adults could ever guess. She had been informed when she woke up dazed and disoriented in her own bed that Marcus had tried to rape her brother, and with the added information about the bites, it wasn't to hard for her to put two and two together. Biting her lower lip to fight back her emotions from bursting out, she nodded her sad understanding. "He always seemed so nice to us. I...I guess I need to be very careful about who I choose as friend or date," she reasoned quietly.

"Yes, it pays to be cautious until you know the person well before you're in a situation where you could be hurt." Lucretia added, "But Marcus was a different case, he hid his darker side well." She shook her head and then placed a loving hand on the girl's red hair. "But you won't have to do that alone," she assured the girl with a little smile. "You'll have all the help you need from an overprotective father and brother to screen your friends and dates."

"Not that my judgement can be counted on," Duo said, sounding despondent.

"Marcus had all of us fooled," Milliardo said firmly to his son, not about to let him mentally flagellate himself because Marcus turned out to be a bad apple. "You saw what we all did Max, an amiable and often charming man who didn't seem to have any hidden agendas. You can't blame yourself for judging only by what he represented himself to be."

Duo shook his head and leaned heavily against Heero's side. "But I did see just a glimpse of his darker side." he confessed, looking hesitantly at Heero's face for his reaction. "He forced himself on me that day after we returned home, when I went to his house." He felt Heero stiffen and saw the steely look come into his eyes and quickly continued. "Nothing happened, really, I just didn't like what he did and told him so." He looked up with sad eyes to Heero's face. "I gave him a second chance." He swallowed hard, realizing his own stupidity in not following his first instincts and that one decision had led him like a lamb to the slaughter; tied up and helpless against Marcus's perversity.

"Not your fault." Heero told him firmly, seeing the self-castigating feelings his lover was experiencing.

Quatre stood from his seat. "It's lunch time, is anyone hungry? Miss Poe, will you stay and share the meal with us?"

"No, I have to get back to town, but thank you," Sally replied with a small, grateful smile, then turned to Heero. "Remember, call me at the first sign of any infection," she admonished him. "We'll need to hospitalize him if that happens."

Heero nodded, then Sally let Wufei take her to the door where they exchanged a few words before she left the house.

Duo rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, suddenly looking very tired and frail. "Let's watch some t.v.," he suggested, and putting Heero's hand in his, they moved to the place on the couch just vacated by Quatre and Trowa who were heading for the kitchen.

"We need more chairs in here," Duo observed in a detached tone as his eyes scanned the room.

"All in good time," Heero replied as he pulled the smaller body up against his side and draped his arm over Duo's shoulder.

It was in the middle of the noon meal when several phones went off. First Wufei's, then Milliardo's. Both listened to whoever was speaking on the other end, then hung up with twin looks of concern on their faces. It was clear they had both received some bad news. At Wufei's nod, Milliardo looked to Duo, who sat unmoving with his tuna sandwich half raised to his mouth.

"Marcus was formally charged with several crimes and then was bailed out of prison by his family."

"He's free?" Duo asked, looking genuinely baffled that someone who had committed such a horrible violation to him could have possibly won his freedom so quickly.

"His family obviously thought he was worth the enormous amount of money that was set for bail." Milliardo replied disgustedly. "My lawyer is going to court today to get a restraining order," he reassured his adopted son.

"I've got a better idea." Heero spoke up in a deadly voice. "Just tell the bastard that if he comes within mine or Duo's line of sight that I'll kill him."

The blond man frowned at Heero's emotional response. "That might have worked during the war, Heero, but not anymore. I know we are all feeling like a raw nerve had been exposed, but we have to deal with this problem logically and through the law. If he comes anywhere near Duo, his bail will be revoked and he'll be back in prison until the end of his trial. We can't have you going off like a possessive, avenging lover and getting yourself put in jail yourself."

Heero felt his hand squeezed and looked to his lover. "He's right," Duo looked up at him, his eyes pleading. "I need you with me right now, not in jail." But then he surprised Heero by giving him a small disarming smile. "But I think I like you in the role of a possessive, avenging lover."

Heero squeezed his hand back and returned the smile. He and Duo only broke eye contact when out of the corner of their eyes they saw Milliardo stand, Lucretia and May following him to their feet.

"We're going to go now, unless you need us to stay longer," Milliardo announced to the small group, directing his words to the two on the couch.

"You don't have to," Duo said, torn between having them there to add to his sense of safety, and letting them go so he could take a nap. All of a sudden he felt as if he would drop from the exhaustion that was probably due to his emotional stress and so few hours sleep the night before.

"You're tired," Lucretia said, recognizing the telling dark circles under her son's eyes, accentuated by his unusually pale face, along with the slumped shoulders and the stifled yawns he'd been suppressing. "You need your rest," she admonished, "so go lie down and we'll go home and make sure Marcus is kept far from you."

Duo dropped his hand from Heero's to rise from the couch go to them and cautiously embrace his family. "Love you guys. You know that, right?"

"We love you, too," Lucretia replied in a warm, motherly tone. She raised her eyes to look over Duo, directly at Heero. "Take care of him and make sure he sleeps," she told him.

"I will," he answered simply, but the glint in his eyes showed that he was taking the task of caring for Duo very seriously.

The house seemed almost empty after they left, leaving the five friends together once more. "Guess I'll be going also," Wufei said, and moved to pick up his camera laying on top of his jacket, resting on the chair next to the front door. He turned to look at his four friends. "I'll find out what's turned up on the case and keep you informed," he told them.

"Don't be a stranger," Duo called out.

Wufei smiled in return and, with a wave of his hand, he too was gone.

"Quatre and I will clean up the kitchen," Trowa said, picking up the assorted plates, cups and silverware that had been left on the coffee table. "And if you don't mind, we'd like to stay through to the evening and prepare dinner for you also."

Both Heero and Duo readily agreed and thanks their friends for taking such good care of them.

As the two busied themselves in the kitchen, Heero turned to Duo. "That leaves me with you," Heero said, rubbing a gentle circle on his lover's back.

"You want to take a nap, too?" Duo questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll guard your sleep." A warm smile grew on the Japanese man's face as he replied.

"We'll see you guys later," Duo called out to their two friends, still busy in the kitchen as Heero took him gently by his elbow and led him down the hallway to their bedroom.

The daylight had softened and, as the sun crept closer to the western horizon, Heero was abruptly wakened by his bedmate. He turned his head to see Duo, lying rigid with his arms stiff at his sides and grasping the blanket that lay on top of his body. His body twitched and jolted sporadically and his head was shaking back and forth in denial of whatever his nightmare was. Heero knew, with little doubt, what, or most probably who Duo was dealing with in his dream.

"Duo, wake up." He called out to his lover, knowing if he touched him it might further his nightmare. Getting no response and seeing a tear leak out of the corner of the tightly shut eyes, he brought a hand up and stroked the top of the head covered with chestnut colored hair. "Duo, come on, wake up. You're having a bad dream," he said a little louder. A whimper was his lover's only response

"Please. Stop." Duo whimpered in a choked voice.

"Duo!" Heero said more sharply, and with that, the blue violet eyes tinged with fear snapped open and Duo automatically sat up and gasped loudly as he struggled with the emotions still churning within him as a result of his nightmare.

"Just a nightmare, Duo. I'm here, and no one is ever going to hurt you again." Heero said softly as he rose to sit next to the young man struggling with the residual effects of his bad dream, and put his arm around the slender shoulders only to feel his lover flinch at his touch. With eyes filled with concern he studied his traumatized love. 

Duo rubbed at his moist eyes with the heels of his hands, then wrapped his arms around himself and began rubbing his arms viciously. His tortured-looking eyes met Heero's. "I hate this," he whispered hoarsely.

Heero nodded. One thing all of the former pilots hated was feeling weak and vulnerable, and Marcus had made Duo feel just that and, for that and all the detestable actions towards his lover, Heero felt his hatred grow towards the vile man.

"I'm sorry," came the soft, anguished whisper. Duo's eyes lifted to Heero's, looking for understanding. He started to rock back and forth, his finger nails now scratching at his bare arms, his flesh reddening under the assault.

Heero, seeing what was happening, reached out and grabbed hold of the abusing hands and held them fast. "Hurting yourself won't make you feel better," he said in a gently admonishing tone.

"But I can still feel it, Heero," Duo said and barely stifled a sob as his body began to shake. "I can still feel his hands on me, all over me. It makes my skin crawl with the wrongness of it. Oh god, Heero," he said with pleading eyes, "make it go away. I don't want to feel his hands on me anymore."

Duo would need counseling, Heero told himself, but for now he had to figure out a way to easy his immediate suffering. With forced slowness, Heero put his arms around his lover and slowly eased them both back down onto the mattress. "It's alright, I'm here." He assured the other in a gentle voice. "I'm going to take away the memory of Marcus touching you," he told him.

Duo nodded, not really knowing what Heero was going to do, but he had implicit trust in his lover. With eyes watery and wide, he watched as his Asian lover rose up on his elbows to poise over his body. Now chest to chest, Heero had the perfect position t peer down into his face. Then with a warm , heart-melting smile, Heero lowered his face until his lips lightly kissed the pert nose beneath him. Duo smiled back at the simple, unexpected act of tenderness.

"Close your eyes," Heero gently ordered, then waited until Duo obeyed. Once the lids were closed over the beautiful obs, he began to softly kiss each eyelid, letting his lips linger for a moment longer then necessary against the soft skin. "Do you like that?" Heero asked.

A small smile issued from the mouth that was still sore at the corners from being bound tightly with a cloth the night before. Duo nodded and, being encouraged, Heero continued. Light, teasing but loving kisses, so different than his assailant's, rained all over the heart-shaped face, yet always came back to his lips as if the first touch of them had become addicting and irresistible. Even though his neck was stiff and sore, Duo tilted his chin to the side to give Heero better access to the sensitive flesh there. The Japanese man took full advantage of the opportunity and kissed every bit of skin available to his lips, even the bandages that covered the deeper bite marks. Heero paused in his gentle ministrations for only the small amount of time it took to ease off their shirts, then began again, and from Duo's well-kissed neck, his warm lips moved slowly across the left clavicle to his shoulder, then down and up his right arm. Heero's lips and tongue moved with ease and at a calculated pace in an attempt to erase the memory of any touch to his lover's skin that Marcus might have caused. After returning for another deeply satisfying kiss of their lips, Heero then went back down, across Duo's chest and down his left arm, stopping only to suck on each finger of the slack, trusting hand before going up again. 

Duo moaned as Heero covered his chest with sweet, torturous kisses that progressively moved lower, nuzzling his navel and flat stomach. It took only a moment to remove the sweat pants and boxers, then lips like fire sent hot passion through Duo's damaged body as Heero bent to give attention to his hip bones and moved slowly down his legs to his feet. He never realized how sensitive his feet were, nor the pleasurable sensations he would feel until Heero's mouth, tongue, and fingers explored his pressure point on each foot. He was nearly writhing with need as Heero made his way back up the entire length of his body to his mouth once again. His fingers wove themselves into Heero's hair and kept his mouth in place as they made their very best attempt at devouring each other.

"Is it me you feel now, Duo?" Heero asked in a deeply affected voice, as he pulled his head up and looked down on the flushed and aroused looking lover beneath him.

"Only you," came the whispered reply, then begged, "Please Heero, take it all away." 

Heero knew what Duo was referring to as he'd purposely left untouched only the most intimate places of his lover's body, not knowing if he was ready for a more personal touch or not. "Are you sure?" he asked, studying his Duo's face for any hesitation.

The blue-violet eyes opened with the look of want and need clearly seen in them. "I need you, Heero, to heal me. Take the memory of Marcus from my body. I need you to make me yours again."

That was the permission he had been waiting for. Without any further hesitation, Heero swooped down and took his lover's waiting and eager lips once again, then moved quickly from there to the side table next to the bed and drew out a familiar tube. Looking back at his Duo, he only saw anticipation on his face and the readiness of his body, not the fear he'd awakened with. With a smile of reassurance, Heero began again to bring his lover to a state of deep need and wanting with the intent of claiming him as his own in more ways then just the physical.

"Whose hand's do you feel on you now, Duo?" Heero asked as his body moved in a rocking motion.

"Yours," came the breathy reply.

"Whose lips have claimed your body?"

"Only yours, Heero."

"Who is it that rocks your world?"

"Oh god, only you Heero." Duo's voice came out as a low, sensual moan.

"Who loves you more than life itself?"

"You do, Heero Yuy." Duo moaned with pleasure from not only what Heero was doing to him, but by the pure knowledge he had that truly he belonged to Heero Yuy, and that Heero was still really his. Such binding words uttered by his lover only deserved to be reciprocated. "And I love you so much that my world would end without you," Duo whispered as he arched up into his lover's touch and they sealed their words with a mind-melding kiss.

TBC


	14. part 14

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Chapter 14

Warnings and disclaimers on first page of story

The two lovers, engaged in their favorite activity in the middle of the large bed, suddenly stopped all sound and movement and held their breaths at the uncertain knock that sounded on the bedroom door.

"Did you lock the door?" Duo whispered, his wide, startled eyes looked up into Heero's with a spark of anxiousness in them.

"No," Heero said in a quiet voice, frowning at the interruption. He was in the final stages of making love to Duo, erasing Marcus's mental taint in his lover's mind, almost at the point of climax for the both of them, when the person on the other side of the door interrupted them. He looked over his bare shoulder and sharply called out, "What?"

Quatre's voice answered somewhat timidly. "Dinner is in ten minutes. Are you two coming?"

Heero looked back to Duo with a wicked smirk on his face to see his lover was shaking with effort to hold in his laughter, his eyes dancing with amusement from Quatre's innocent inquiry that had a different connotation in the position they two were currently in.

"Yes, we're definitely coming," Heero called out with a trace of humor in his voice, his eyes, glittering with amusement as he looked into the amethyst orbs looking up at him and showing equal humor at the situation. "Just give us a few minutes and we'll come out."

Duo clasped his hand over his mouth to maintain silence at Heero's comment, and the two lovers barely stifled their laughter at the lengthy silence that came from the other side of the door. "Um...okay," Quatre said at last, sounding either confused or embarrassed, and both men on the bed could only imagine that the blond's cheeks were pinking up nicely.

After a moment of uninterrupted silence, Heero resumed their pleasurable activity and began to move again. "Now, where were we?" he said in a low, teasing voice.

The long haired man's slender legs came up again and pressed against Heero's buttocks, holding him still for a moment deep inside him, wanting to stay this warm and intimate with his lover for as long as possible and never let go.

"We only have about five minutes left," Heero said with obvious amusement.

Duo looked into his lover's eyes again, then raised himself up on his elbows so he could reach up and capture the smiling lips above him. His legs dropped, allowing Heero, once again, the movement he was intent on continuing.

With three minutes to spare, the two lay panting and sated against each other. Heero had turned onto his back and brought Duo to rest against his chest.

"Wish we could stay here forever, just like this." Duo spoke soft and wistful. "Here, with you, I don't feel guilty about the past and have nothing to fear from the future. When we're together, there are no ghosts to haunt me and the world outside can't touch or threaten me." Duo's voice was but a whisper and his breath was warm against the slightly moist chest that lay beneath his cheek. His arms tightened their hold on the man beneath him.

"We are forever, no matter where we are or what we're doing," Heero said as his hands stroked along the slender back completely covered with the long, silky hair that slid through easily his fingers. "We can face anything as partners: the future, the good and the bad in the world, bills, jobs, and even bad hair days." He was relieved when he heard his lover chuckle, relieving the somber mood to some degree. He wasn't always good with words, but Heero hoped in some way to give some comfort and a feeling of security to Duo.

"Guys?" Another knock at the door revealed Quatre's anal retentiveness when it came to being punctual.

"Coming," they both called out and then burst into barely contained snickers.

"Race you to the bathroom," Duo's eyes sparkled brightly. 

"I've got a better idea," Heero replied as he moved to sit up with his slightly smaller lover still held tightly to his own body. As he stood, he guided Duo's legs to wrap around his, his arms already secured behind his neck, and brought his hands to cup the round, half globes in his hands as he walked to the bathroom. Duo looked at him for a minute before kissing his cheek and then hugged him tightly, appreciating the closeness lasting just for just a bit longer.

Three nights later found Sally in the hospital emergency room in clothing hastily thrown on and her braids in obvious disarray, mussed from sleep as she glared at her watch and then at the sliding glass doors. It was two forty-seven in the morning, not the best time of night to be rousted from your bed by your phone ringing with a request for your presence at the nearest hospital. All she had to hear was Heero's slightly rushed voice, his anxiousness perceptible only because she knew him so well. And it was only because it was one of "the boys", as she and Une dubbed the five former gundam pilots, who called for her help at that hour of the morning, that she got up, rushed to dress, then drove like a maniac to the designated hospital. She had been impatiently waiting there for fifteen minutes before the sliding doors opened and she could tell by the sound of the voices arguing that the two she had been waiting for had arrived.

"Put me down Heero, I'm not an invalid or a girl. I have a damned fever, I'm not dying of the plague or have a broken leg."

"No."

"This is embarrassing. Put me down."

"No."

The two entered the room and from the conversation, Sally was not surprised to see Duo wrapped in a blanket and being carried into the brightly lit emergency room in Heero's arms.

"Down."

"No."

Sally went to them, observing the two now standing in front of her. Heero looked a bit pale, concern lining his face. Duo's face was flushed, with two bright pink spots on his otherwise colorless cheeks, his eyes bright with fever, and his skin had a glistening sheen of perspiration on it.

"Sally, tell Heero I can walk," Duo pleaded with a desperate look.

The doctor ignored him and looked to Heero. "How high?"

"One hundred three a half hour ago."

"Let's go." She took his elbow and guided Heero and his bundled companion through another set of doors. "I already took care of the paper work, though someone will be in to have you sign some papers."

Heero nodded, his face a grim picture of dead seriousness.

Fifteen minutes later found Maximilian Peacecraft admitted into the hospital and Sally was in the process of taking his temperature. She frowned as the digital thermometer displayed Duo's temperature as one hundred three point seven. She went to work immediately. Seeing Duo was in a tee-shirt and cotton pajama bottoms, she threw a hospital gown at Heero. "Help Duo to put this on," she instructed.

Heero nodded and went to work. His face was a study of determination, an unbreakable wall against Duo's protestations.

"Why do I have to put that on? I'm in pajamas already. I hate those things." It was clear that Duo was not happy about the situation at all, but the other two in the room let him complain knowing that he couldn't be feeling very well with his body fighting so hard to beat back the infection.

His complaints died down shortly after he was put into the bed, though he moaned at the cold sheets and wanted more blankets.

That taken care of, Sally faced the both of them. "We're going to tackle the infection and the fever at the same time." She began to explain Duo's treatment. "We have to work quickly to bring Duo's temperature down and deal with the infection. Human bites are nasty to deal with because of all the bacteria in our mouths," she informed them. She moved to Duo's side and he gave her a wary look. "I'm going to take the bandage off your ear and examine it, then I'll take a look at your other wounds," she told him, then proceeded to carefully remove the tape from the perfect looking bandage, obviously placed by Heero, then remove it from off the wounded ear.

Duo's ear, the one that had been badly bitten by his attacker four nights previous, was swollen to twice it's size, it was hot to the touch and appeared red and oozing. Sally did a quick check to make sure that all the other bites were healing and not becoming infected as the ear had. She noted that the teeth marks surrounding his left nipple also looked suspiciously puffy and overly warm to the touch. 

Finishing her exam, Sally left the room to inform the nurse on the floor of what she needed, leaving the two young men alone. Duo's fevered eyes stayed on Heero, silently begging for reassurance.

"Everything is going to be fine, Duo. I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can stop an infection?" Duo asked a bit sourly, frowning at his lover and obviously not in a mood to joke or be humored.

"No, but that's why I brought you here." Heero sat on the edge of the high bed. "I'll stay here and guard you while you're down." His tone was reassuring and Duo seemed to derive some comfort from his promise and close proximity. 

Pulling his hand out from under the several layers of blankets Duo's pale, warm hand reached for his lover's. "Wish you could crawl in here and keep me warm," he said softly.

"I think you're warm enough as it is," Heero replied with a slight smile, though he was unsuccessful in hiding the worry in his eyes.

Sally re-entered the room carrying a tray of supplies and followed closely by a nurse pushing a tall, metal I.V. apparatus. Pulling over the wheeled table that fit over Duo's bed, the good doctor lay her arm full of supplies down on top of it, and began to undo the plastic from the sealed tray that held sterilized medical tools. Now prepared, she went to work with serious efficiency by first putting an elastic band around her patient's upper arm. She then searched his lower arm for a suitable vein to use. Satisfied with one particular spot, she turned back to the tray, ripped open a small packet, and quickly located the vein again and swabbed the area with the cotton, antibiotic square, then quickly and efficiently inserted the I.V. needle, despite Duo's squawk of disapproval. The tube leading from the hanging bag and threaded through the small machine on the metal pole was attached to the end of the needle and the drip was started immediately, sending a strong antibiotic directly into Duo's blood stream.

After re-bandaging the wounds, with mild complaining from Duo about the cold he suffered from the blankets being pulled away, Sally re-checked the I.V. and, satisfied with her work, ordered the two to sleep while the medication was being pumped into Duo's fevered body. A padded chair from the waiting room was brought in for Heero, and Sally gave permission to the nursing staff that would allow him to stay by his friend and lover well past any descent vising hours.

As the nurse and Sally left the room, Heero returned to Duo's side and took up his hand. "Go to sleep, Duo. I'll be here when you wake up."

"You sleep," Duo said in return, his voice sounding as tired as he looked.

"Call out if you need anything," Heero said as he pushed the hair stuck on Duo's moist forehead away from his face.

"Kiss me?" Bright, watery eyes pleaded for the request to be granted.

Leaning over, Heero happily complied with Duo's request and lowered himself so that only his lips touched the heated lips of his lover's, avoiding any other contact knowing that Duo's skin was extremely sensitive from the fever. He consciously didn't want to add to his discomfort in any way.

When the tender kiss ended, he touched his forehead against the moist one below him and felt the heat radiating from his lover's body. As fatigue and worry caught up to him, his thoughts suddenly turned dark. Wouldn't it be horribly ironic to finally have things right between the two of them only to have it end from an infection, he thought. His heart clenched with the mere thought of losing Duo, and he pushed the dark thought out of his mind. He needed to be positive in order to keep his lover's spirits up. Raising his body up, he looked down into the sleepy eyes that were struggling to stay open. He smiled reassuringly. "I'll call everyone in the morning and tell them where we are, alright?"

Duo nodded and Heero stood there watching him until he saw his lover finally give in to his exhaustion and close his eyes close. "No use waking everyone for a little fever," Duo said in a voice that indicated he was well on his way to sleep.

"Sleep well," Heero said with a brief kiss on the hot, red cheek.

Duo managed a slight nod of his head while his faint smile faded as he drifted into sleep.

****

Wufei entered room 322 an hour after Heero called him at approximately seven a.m. His eyes went immediately to Duo, who appeared to be asleep. He quickly assessed his friend's condition, taking in the flushed skin and the sheen of sweat on his brow that caused the hair around his face to appear wet. He then let his eyes stray to his other friend standing a short distance away from the bed, over by the one window in the room. Heero was obviously in the middle of a quiet conversation on his cell phone and he listened for a clue to who it might be.

"No, don't feel guilty or apologetic for not being here," he said into the small, palm-sized phone. "It's not your fault that Duo's wounds became infected. No, you don't need to rush back here, there is nothing you can do. We have to wait until the antibiotics can do what they are supposed to, so just do what you need to do there then come when you can."

Dark blue eyes looked up and acknowledged Wufei and Heero gave him a quiet smile. "Wufei is here so I've got to go." He listened for another minute. "Yes, I'll give him your best wishes. I will. I will. Okay, goodbye."

"Quatre?" Wufei asked with a slight, knowing smile.

Heero nodded as he replaced his phone on his hip. "Sometimes I think he worries enough for all of us. He's got to do something about feeling guilty about everything, too."

Wufei took a few steps closer to his friend and spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the slumberer. "Is there something here to be worried about?"

Heero frowned and looked to his sleeping companion. "Sally says people can die from the bacteria contained in a human's mouth if it gets into the blood stream and causes infection, though she did say it is rare."

"He won't," Wufei said firmly, knowing his Japanese friend needed to hear conviction in his voice. He kept his eyes on Heero, surprised that by one look, he could see just how miserable he felt. "Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked, placing his hand on Heero's shoulder to show his concern.

With a shrug and a shake of his head, Heero answered quietly, not quite stifling a yawn. "I tried, but they come in every hour to take his temperature, and at four thirty it went up to one hundred four point three." Heero looked into Wufei's eyes, allowing him to see the worry he'd been holding in. "An army of nurses came rushing in with bags of ice and packed them around him." He brought his hand up and combed his fingers through his messy, dark brown hair. "It was not pleasant, Wufei," he said tiredly. "You know how Duo hates the cold. He was miserable and pleaded with me to take him home."

The Preventer slowly let his hand drop from Heero's shoulder. He could see how rough the night had truly been for his friends and felt disturbed that he hadn't been called. "You should have called me when you brought him in. I could have given you some moral support if nothing else," he said more testily than he should have.

Heero nodded and looked apologetic. "I should have, I'm sorry. I was just too worried about him that I kind of lost focus for awhile."

"When did his fever start?"

The frown on Heero's face showed he wasn't pleased with his answer. "Evidently his ear started throbbing after I bandaged it yesterday morning but he didn't tell me because he didn't want me to touch it again. He stayed in the armchair all day and watched t.v. I realize now that he was avoiding my touch. He knew he was getting a fever, but he never has liked hospitals, the baka." Heero used the familiar term affectionately as his gaze wandered over to the bed. "He heard Sally say that if he contracted a fever, he'd be put in the hospital. It wasn't until around one thirty this morning that I heard him moaning in his sleep and, when I reached out to him, I realized that he was burning up."

Wufei bought his hand up to place it back on Heero's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He's going to be alright, Heero. Sally is the best there is. He's in very capable hands."

Heero only nodded and gave his friend a brief smile before returning to stare at Duo's flushed face.

The Milliardo Peacecraft family arrived a half hour after the phone call was placed to them at eight o'clock that morning. They had wanted to stay for the entire day but the nurse insisted that there were too many people in the room of a patient that was so ill and required constant observation and attention. Reluctantly, Lucretia and May allowed the patriarch of their family to persuade them that the nurse was right and family left around nine thirty, promising to return several times that day during regular visiting hours.

Wufei stayed with his friends until ten o'clock that morning, then had to leave for work. Just before he left, Duo slowly woke up and gave them both a very subdued and groggy good morning, then allowed Heero to help him drink some water and juice. It was more than apparent that this was going to be a very long day for both of them.

Duo faded in and out of sleep and his fever continued to be unyielding, despite the medications. Sometimes, when he appeared to be awake, Duo seemed disoriented and delirious, not knowing where he was and scolded Heero for bringing him to a hospital instead of the safehouse. He mumbled his concerns about being captured while in a vulnerable condition. 

"Where's Quatre?" Duo asked in a groggy voice as he woke once again in the late afternoon. His head turned to the blurry shape he instinctively knew was Heero and he squinted as he tried to focus his vision. His fever racked brain made it hard to talk much less carry on any type of coherent conversation, so it had been up to Heero to keep up the conversation between the two of them during the long day that passed excruciatingly.

Heero frowned slightly at Duo's question. Even after all the time that had passed, he still had a twinge of jealousy whenever Duo called out for or talked fondly of the only other person who had the privilege of being called Duo's lover.

"You know he had to go back to L-4 for a business meeting yesterday, right? Remember I called him this morning? He said he'll come back as soon as he can, maybe tomorrow."

"That's right," Duo mumbled, his words slurring slightly and his heavy eyelids eyes closed. "Hope he's in time," he said wearily, his body weak and exhausted from fighting the infection raging in his system.

Heero's dark eyebrows drew together. "In time for what?" he questioned.

"Ta say goodbye," Duo whispered.

Heero was out of his chair like a shot and took a firm hold of his lover's shoulders, feeling the intense heat radiating through the hospital gown into the palms of his hands. "Don't say that Duo. Do you hear me? You are not going anywhere. I refuse to let you leave me again. Do you hear me, Duo?" he growled out, desperation lacing his voice and, if Duo had opened his eyes, he would have seen an almost unprecedented look of panic in his lover's face.

Heero lowered his face down next to Duo's and fervently kissed his cheek, holding his lips on the fevered skin for a long, lingering moment. He could tell with the touch that Duo's fever was up again, and it felt even higher than before. Without moving his upper body, his hand searched and found the nurse's button and depressed it. "Are you trying to break my heart?" he whispered into Duo's ear. "If you leave me, I promise you I'll burn our house down. I built it for you and me to live in together. If you leave me, I won't have that dream any longer, nor any hope or joy. I'll burn it to ashes to represent my heart if you leave me."

He could feel Duo's body shaking and a barely perceptible sob escape from his pale and chapped lips. "Don't want to," he cried weakly.

"Then fight this, harder than you fought to survive the streets on L-2 or in any battle in the war. You fought to live then and this is no different, only that now you fight for not only your survival, but for mine too."

"Love you. I'll fight." Duo managed to say just before several nurses rushed into the room and forced Heero to step back while their patient's temperature was taken again. Heero heart faltered when they called out the bad news, Duo's temperature was now one hundred four point five; it was higher than ever, dangerously so. Placing himself at the top of the bed just to be close, Heero held his lover's slack and hot hand as bags of ice were brought in and placed around his sheet covered body.

The medical staff left them alone for a short while, and Heero moved closer to the ice-encircled young man on the bed. Being weak, slightly delirious and not totally aware of his surroundings, Heero watched the strongest person he knew reduced by his illness to silently weeping. He tried to be strong, to put his mind in a place of being Duo's support, but in watching numerous tears slide down the red cheeks and the soft sounds of crying from his lover from his miserable state, Heero found himself unable to distance himself mentally, and let his pent up emotions go, shedding tears of his own and not bothering to brush them off his own cheeks. He moved closer to Duo and leaned himself over the inert body covered with bags of ice. He could feel the fevered body trembling from the cold as the ice tortured sensitive skin. "Duo," he said softly. The dazed and water-filled violet eyes opened painfully slow and tried to focus on him. Then Duo's eyes narrowed in sadness as he saw the tears falling from Heero's face, his lover showing him that it was alright for him to cry and not be ashamed or feel weak because of it.

"Thirsty?" Heero asked.

At a nod of his lover's head, Heero got the cup of ice chips and placed a spoonful into Duo's mouth who visibly shuddered at the chill the ice sent through him. Then slowly, his eyes closed once again.

"Can I get you anything else?" Heero asked as he put the cup back down.

"Tomorrow," Duo whispered is a voice strained and whispered, "I want you to sneak me a hamburger and french fries. A soda too," he added.

Heero chuckled as another tear escaped his eye. "Just remind me tomorrow and I'll bring you the biggest and juiciest hamburger ever made."

"Heero?" Turning around, Heero saw Lucretia and May standing in the doorway of the private room. He motioned them in and as they approached the bed, their eyes grew wide in alarm as Duo's worsened condition became more apparent to them..

"His fever went up and this is the quickest way of lowering it so he doesn't sustain any permanent brain or organ damage," Heero told them, making sure to keep his voice low. Both women looked like they were about to burst into tears. "He's too weak to talk right now, but you can talk to him," Heero instructed them. Then looking directly at them he spoke to them silently, with only his lips so that Duo couldn't hear. //Be positive,// he told them. //We need to keep his spirits up.//

The head floor nurse came in five minutes later to see the three deeply concerned visitors talking to the patient in quiet but positive tones. With only a slight nod and brief smile to them, she set about taking care of the fevered young man. The thermometer indicated that his temperature had dropped to one hundred three degrees, a more acceptable range, but another five minutes or so might bring it down to a safer level. The handsome young patient's body was trembling from the cold being forced onto his . She shifted the bags slightly, then turned to leave.

"Can't they come off now?" Heero asked, his eyes clouded with distress and exhaustion.

"Another five minutes," she told him in a with a smile and in a detached manner that most of the medical staff seemed to have. She then turned and left the room.

Not thirty seconds later, Duo's eyes rolled up and his body lifted, his back arching off the bed and a loud moan issued from his parched lips. Heero immediately recognized that he was having a seizure and shouted to Lucretia to get help. The dark haired woman ran to the door and called out frantically into the corridor for assistance.

The three upset visitors in the room were quickly shoved unceremoniously out the door and into the hallway while the nursing crew and the doctor on call rushed passed them to care for the seriously ill patient in room 322.

Noin stood looking shell shocked and held her daughter against her chest with one hand while her other hand struggled to dial her small cell phone. Heero ignored them, pacing in front of the doorway as he absently listened to Duo's adopted mother emotionally choke out his deteriorating condition to her husband. It was a short call, but necessary, and Milliardo was on his way. 

Heero was at a loss, he didn't know what to do or where to turn. It was obvious this was one of those things he couldn't fix or manipulate to end the way he wanted it to, not like in the war when he could hack into computers or us Wing to stop a disaster from happening. It frightened him to realize how powerless he truly was at the moment. Stunned at that realization, he stopped his pacing and went to the beige painted wall and raised his arms. Crossing them on the wall, he pillowed his face against them, trying with all his might to deal with his emotions and feelings of helplessness. He could feel it deeply, an impending sense of loss threatening to overtake him. His worst fears were being realized; he was going to lose Duo, probably because he was never truly worthy of the kind of happiness that was his for only a fleeting moment in time. All the battles and lives that he'd taken were now being paid in full by the cosmos, or by the God Duo believed in, by taking away the only person and thing he ever wanted or needed; Duo and his love.

He felt the hand on his shoulder before he heard a familiar and concerned voice at his side. "What's wrong?" Wufei asked.

Heero stepped back from the wall, lowered his arms, and turned his tear stained face to his friend. Without hesitating, Wufei took one step forward and embraced him, lending him his own strength when Heero's was obviously gone. If he was shocked by Heero's crying, Wufei never said so, he just held him tightly until he felt strong enough to stand on his own again.

Sally ran up to the four a moment later, but instead of stopping, she rushed into Duo's room, now crowded with medical personnel.

Within the next few minutes, several of the nurses came out, one of them stopping long enough to tell the four anxious people that the doctor would be with them shortly to give them an update. Heero's body was stiff, but he allowed Wufei to lead him to a chair that was against the far wall and nudged him to sit down. The moment he complied, Heero leaned forward and pressed his face into his upraised hands. 

"What's happened?" The young Chinese man in the Preventer's uniform asked from above him.

"His fever went up again and they bagged him in ice," Heero reported, though his voice was muffled as he spoke through his hands and his head was facing downward. "It was starting to go down when he had a seizure."

Wufei reached out his hand to rest it on his distraught friend's slumped shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Heero," he said, looking earnestly at the room marked 322, willing Sally to reappear and report that Duo was better.

TBC


	15. part 15

Second Chances

Chapter 15

By: Dyna Dee

Warnings and Disclaimers on first page of this story.

"What's happened?" The young Chinese man in the Preventer's uniform asked from above him.

"His fever went up again and they bagged him in ice," Heero reported, though his voice was muffled as he spoke through his hands and his head was facing downward. "It was starting to go down when he had a seizure."

Wufei reached out his hand to rest it on his distraught friend's slumped shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Heero," he said, looking earnestly at the room marked 322, willing Sally to reappear and report that Duo was better.

A few minutes later another nurse came out, sparing them a small, compassionate smile before she went back to her station. Sally and the on-call doctor finally came through the door, talking to each other in quiet tones. She glanced up and saw the four looking worriedly at her, then nodded, concluding her conversation with the other doctor. She came to them with her hands pressed into the pockets of her lab coat. With an audible sigh she looked to Heero. "He's stable again, for the moment." she told him. "The seizure was the result of the high fever and the shock of going from hot to much cooler in a short space of time. I don't think there will be any complications from it, but if he experiences another one I'll give him some medication in his I.V. to prevent any others."

"Is he awake?" Heero asked, his eyes straying from her to the door of Duo's room, longing to be back in there. 

"He was for a moment, but the seizure exhausted him," Sally reported.

"Will he be okay?" Lucretia asked in an emotional voice, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"It's too soon to tell," Sally replied, her face sad and grim. "I think we're going to have to remove the part of his ear that's infected, it obviously isn't going to heal and is the cause for the high fever. The medicine should have had some effect on his system by now, that it hasn't indicates that the ear may be too far gone to save it."

"Will removing it help him get better?" Heero asked as he came to his feet.

"I believe so, as it's the initial cause for the infection. But the infection is still obviously in his system and we'll have to continue to fight it with strong antibiotics."

"Then remove it," Heero replied without any further thought.

"Because he's under twenty-one and under their health policy," Sally continued, looking to her friend Lucretia, "I'll need permission from his parents."

The dark haired woman nodded. "Do whatever you have to in order to save him." 

Sally nodded, pleased with her reply. "I'll get the paper work ready and we'll take him into the operating room shortly." She then pressed her lips together in thought. "Because of his condition, I'm going to limit the number of visitors to one," she said, looking between Noin and Heero. "Duo called out for Heero after his seizure subsided, but as his guardian Lu, you have the right to make the call as to who stays with him, you or Heero."

The woman's compassionate blue eyes met Heero's, and she smiled sadly as she replied. "Duo's heart has always belonged to Heero. I will never stand between them again."

Heero gave her a grateful smile, then walked up to her and gave her a tender embrace. May was included in that heartfelt gesture as she was still standing silently in the shelter of her mother's arms when Heero approached them. "Thank you," he whispered with gratitude into her ear.

"Make him better, Heero," she said as she hugged him back.

He nodded as he stepped back and gave a brief, shaky smile to the redheaded girl, and exchanged a look of gratitude with Wufei.

"I'll be here or close by when he goes into surgery." Wufei promised as Heero turned towards the door marked 322. With a wave of his hand before he entered Duo's room, Heero told his friend that he had heard the invitation and accepted the offer.

The surgery lasted only a half hour and Duo was in recovery for two more after that with nurses constantly at his side monitoring his vitals and his fever. He was back in his own room by nightfall, though still listed as being in a guarded condition. Heero maintained a vigilant watch at his lover's bedside, observing Duo drift in and out of consciousness. With growing dismay, Heero watched Duo's condition remain unimproved, his body had weakened from all that it was dealing with while his fever had maintained itself at a stubborn one hundred and three degrees. 

After several hours, Heero reluctantly gave up his post in order for Lucretia, Milliardo, and May to each pay a short visit with Duo and give him their words of comfort, support and to say goodnight. Heero adamantly stated that he would refuse to leave Duo's side, so there was no use in their staying at the hospital all night.

Wufei studied his friend with deep concern. Though Duo was not out of the woods yet, Heero looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown, or at the least collapse from exhaustion. He knew the Japanese man had been obsessive about caring for Duo since the night he was assaulted, and it looked like the sleeplessness and worry were about to take their toll on him. Dark circles under his deep blue eyes, the droop of his facial features, and slumped shoulders spoke loudly of his state of exhaustion. 

Milliardo was the last of the three visitors to leave Duo's room, signaling to Heero that he could take up his post again. But as Heero moved to the room, the tall blond man's hand clasping his shoulder stopped him before he could enter. "You're exhausted, Heero. You need to rest," he said with true concern for his son's lover.

"I'll be fine once Duo's fever drops." Heero answered, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"What good will you be to him if he needs you and you've collapsed from exhaustion?" Milliardo asked, not unkindly.

Heero shook his head, obviously too tired to think of a reply.

"Call us anytime tonight if you need help," the blond man said, hoping Heero would take advantage of his offer. "We love him too, and we're happy to help with the burden of carrying him."

Heero's head shot up at the words, and he looked into the pale blue eyes of the taller man. "Duo is not a burden to me, he's my life," he declared hotly.

Those standing outside Duo's door overheard the conversation and knew that Milliardo had never meant to imply that Duo was a burden, but that Heero's exhaustion had led him to jump to a wrong conclusion. Surprisingly, the taller man took no offense and smiled at Heero with the same show of affection he'd given to his other two children. "You have no idea how happy it makes me feel to know you are so devoted to him, Heero. He's loved you for so long and I suspect you've loved him too. He'll beat this if for no other reason than to be with you," he said confidently, then stepped forward and embraced the weary young man. "But call if you need us. We're all family now, and families depend on each other in good times and bad." He felt Heero's head nod against his shoulder and he slowly released him and stepped back.

Lifting his head to up look back into Duo's adopted father's face, Heero gave him an exhausted smile. "I don't know much about a family," he began in a tired voice, "but I'm looking forward to learning."

Bidding them a final good night, Heero re-entered the sick room. 

"Keep watch over him Wufei," Milliardo addressed the other young man standing close by. "He's nearing the end of his strength."

"My apartment is not too far from here," the Wufei replied. "When Duo wakes up and boots him out of there, I'll take him to my place and come back to take the next watch until the others get here."

"Others?" May asked as she and Lu came to stand next to Milliardo.

"Quatre and Trowa are on their way, they're our family too," he told them.

Lucretia smiled at him. "Yes, we're all a family now and we'll look after each other. We'll trust you to do what you can, Wufei, and I'll be back here around eight in the morning, alright?"

Wufei nodded and bid them goodnight, wondering to himself at the changes in all of them since the war. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined being considered family by his former enemies. We'll, to be truthful with himself, he never imagined Duo becoming a Peacecraft or that he himself would be happily dating Relena, thanks to Heero setting them up. He took a moment to breath in deeply and then let the air filling his lung to exit slowly, striving with the simple exercise to release some of the tension that had built up within him after the very difficult evening they'd just gone through. Life, indeed, was very interesting with all its twists and turns, he mused. Turning to look thoughtfully at the door of room 322, he hoped with all his heart that the two young men in there would overcome this crisis and have their more than deserved happy ending.

The hours went slowly as the night routine settled in and the hospital corridors eventually calmed and became silent. The nurse's shift changed and several new women that he'd not seen before came on duty. There were three women at the large desk area in the center of the hospital floor, and each seemed to be going over the charts and list of duties for each patient. A young woman, tall and lanky, average in appearance and mousy brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail was one he hadn't seen before. He noted that she wore a light blue, unflattering scrub that all the nurses seemed to wear, and Wufei watched her as she approached Duo's door with a clip board clutched in her hands. She paused to study him for a moment, giving him a curious look as to why he was there at a time well past visiting hours. With a small shrug, she then entered the darkened room lit only by a small light above the sink. In the brief moment the door was open and slowly closed, Wufei could see Heero straighten in his chair set next to the bed, alert for any trouble. He knew he needed to get him out of there soon, the hourly interruptions were not helping Heero's exhaustion.

As the door opened once again a few minutes later, Wufei was surprised that it was not the nurse who exited, but Heero. He looked more tired than ever, but that wasn't what caught his eye, it was the slight smile on his lips and a glint of relief in his eyes.

"It's gone down to one hundred point four degrees," Heero informed him. "The nurse says it looks like he's made a turn for the better."

Wufei stood from his chair and embraced his weary and exhausted friend. "That's the best news I've heard in a very long time," he said as he patted Heero's back. Then calming with relief, he noticed Heero was leaning heavily against him and he brought his hands up to just hold him. "Can you rest now Heero? If you sleep well for just a little while, you can be here for Duo when he wakes up in the morning, starving as usual."

Heero nodded against his shoulder and Wufei had to wonder if he was too tired to move. With the Japanese man still in his arms, Wufei led him to his chair and directed him to sit down. "I'm going to talk to the nurse for a moment. Stay here, alright?"

Heero nodded in reply, too tired to form a coherent answer. 

Entering Duo's room, he watched as the nurse tucked the blankets around Duo's still body. "Miss?" he called out and saw her jump slightly. She turned to face him and gave a nervous smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm his friend," he motioned to Duo, "and I'm wondering if he's stable enough for me to take his companion home to rest. He's exhausted, but he won't go if Duo is in any danger."

The young woman, who he gathered was in her early thirties, looked at the patient and then back at him. "Fevers are unpredictable, but once a high fever has dropped so dramatically it's rare for it to climb dangerously high again." Wufei nodded, deriving some comfort from her words.

"I'll see if I can get him to rest at my apartment. If so, I'll come back and take up the watch. Do you think you could keep an eye on him until I return?"

The woman smiled a bit nervously and nodded. "Of course. I'll check on him regularly."

"Could you send the guy sitting in the chair out there back in here?"

She nodded and left the room.

"Wu?" a weak voice came from the bed and the Chinese man was immediately at his friend's side.

"Welcome back." Wufei said with a warm, relieved smile on his face.

"Heero?" 

"He's coming," Wufei assured Duo, who looked almost unable to hold his eyelids open for another moment. "Try to get him to rest Duo. He's nearly spent from worrying about you. I want to take him to my place to sleep for a while, then I'll come back and take up watch."

"Thanks," came the sleepy reply.

Heero suddenly and soundlessly appeared at Wufei's side. "He's awake," Wufei told him, then moved to give Heero better access to the patient in the bed.

"Duo," Heero called out his lover's name so very softly and a smile grew on his face as the half-lidded eyes opened.

"Hey." Duo managed a very slight, one-sided grin that quickly faded as he got a glimpse of the man above him. Heero leaned over and quickly gave him a warm kiss on his lips. 

"Feeling better?" Heero asked, studying his lover's face.

"Not so hot." Duo said quietly, not having the energy for a lengthy reply. "I'm so tired."

"Your body's been working hard to fight the infection," Heero explained. "Now that the fever is decreasing you'll start to feel a bit better."

Duo's brows drew together and he reached a trembling hand up towards his bandaged ear. "Damn, but my ear hurts," he complained, but his hand was stopped from touching the white bandage when Heero caught it in his own. He looked up at his lover confused.

"Do you remember having surgery, after your seizure?"

Duo carefully shook his head. "I had surgery?" he asked in a weak, disbelieving voice.

"They had to take the infected part of your earlobe off." Heero explained.

"My ear?" Duo looked confused for a bit, then as everything slowly began to make sense, he tried to reach for his ear and, once again, was stopped by Heero's touch. "Did they take it all off?" he asked in a weak form of panic.

"No." Heero rushed to answer him in order to sooth his worry. "Sally told us she only took the lower part of the lobe. If you leave it down, your hair should cover it until we can get some plastic surgery." He had to smile at the look of relief on Duo's face. Duo's vanity was sometimes amusing.

"You're tired, aren't you Duo?" Wufei asked, and as the half-lidded, blue-violet eyes turned on him, he nodded his head in Heero's direction to remind Duo of their conversation.

"You need sleep Heero," Duo said and then yawned deeply. "Why don't you go to Wufei's place and sleep a couple of hours."

"No, I don't want to leave you," Heero replied.

"It's no good if we're both tired, Heero. I think I'm gonna need some help for a couple of days and I'm counting on you. Besides, I'm gonna sleep anyway and I want you to bring me that burger we talked about."

"Come on," Wufei spoke up and placed his hand on Heero's shoulder. "My place is five miles from here. I'll take you there and then I'll come back and stay with Duo. You can relieve me in the morning after you've had a couple of hours of sleep."

There was hesitation this time when Heero replied, worry etching his features. "I don't know if I should." The thought of a bed was very tempting.

"Please Heero, go rest." Duo's eyes fluttered closed, unable to hold them open any longer.

It took another five minutes for Wufei to convince him, but in the end Heero caved in and docilely allowed his friend to take him to his home. 

The same nurse that had checked Duo before came in shortly after the two had gone and turned out the one light in the room, leaving it in near total darkness. The only light now came from red display lights on the clock and the I.V. machine. Exhausted from the effort of trying to convince Heero to leave, the whole scene was lost on Duo as he had fallen into a more restful sleep than he had known for days.

The moment a hand clamped over his mouth, Duo's eyes opened and his body went stiff. He was suddenly more alert than he'd been in days at the deep sense of danger. He realized that the room was unusually dark, but he could still see a vague dark outline of someone hovering over him and feel the presence of the person covering his mouth with a large hand.

"Hello beautiful lover," the deep male voice said in a warm, snide tone.

Duo tried to twist to get away from the person holding him, recognizing Marcus's voice. His heart was beating furiously at the thought that he was at his mercy, and that he'd sent Heero away with Wufei. He swallowed hard, realizing that he was alone and defenseless once again.

"So you and your lover thought you were free of me, didn't you?" Marcus continued with a nefarious chuckle. "Well, I guess he's got something new to learn, and so do you."

Duo squirmed, trying to wrench his mouth free to call for help. Just then, the door to the room opened and his hopes of a rescue went up. Then just as suddenly, it was dashed. 

"Hurry up," a female voice hissed from the open doorway, and Duo realized Marcus had an accomplice.

"Make sure the coast is clear," Marcus whispered back. He then turned his attention back to Duo. He brought his face up close so that Duo could feel his breath on his cheek. Then suddenly, the hand was removed from his mouth and hard, forceful lips took its place. Marcus's mouth completely covered his and Duo found his hands up on his attackers face, weakly trying to push him off, mentally swearing every foul word his mind could conjure up at his lack of strength. The sound of tape being pulled away from a roll was heard, followed by a rip. Duo only had time to take a quick, deep breath when Marcus lifted his punishing mouth away from his and immediately replaced it with thick duct tape that was forced over his mouth.

"Just a little insurance that you won't call out for help." Marcus chuckled as he pressed the adhesive firmly onto Duo's cheeks. "Come on, we're going for a little walk."

Duo shook his head and clung to the covers draped over his body. His attempts were shown to be fruitless when a firm pull at them dislodged them from his grasp and off his body. "Weak as a kitten, aren't you Max?" Marcus laughed quietly again and the long haired man attempted to scowl at him. A flashlight beam went on and trailed down the length of Duo's body, covered only by a flimsy hospital gown that was barely tied in the back.

"Damn," Marcus swore just under his breath. "I forgot about the catheter." 

As his attacker paused to think, Duo went over his options. Marcus thought he was helpless and weak, and he knew that if he was going to escape him he would need to have his hands and feet free. So in that one, brief moment of time, he decided to act the part Marcus chose for him, not that it was far from that truth, of being a complete invalid and at his mercy. He would bide his time and hope to take advantage of a unguarded moment and pray Wufei would come back and stop whatever Marcus had planned.

"Stay there," Marcus ordered in a low threatening voice. Wrapping his arms around his torso, Duo merely blinked his eyes wide, not finding it too difficult to act frightened.

Marcus went to the middle of the bed and reached between the two slender legs and pulled up the plastic tube that led to the bag at the end of the bed. A knife suddenly appeared in his hands and he cut the tube and knotted the end. He then moved to the other side where the I.V. was located on his arm and ripped off the tape securing the needle. Then, without any hesitation, Marcus pulled it out without thought of pain he caused the patient, and let it fall to the floor. Reaching out, he quickly pulled the smaller, weakly protesting Duo into his arms and headed for the door.

Sticking his head out the door first, Marcus observed that only one person was at the nurse's station, and she was deliberately looking in another direction. The lights in the long halls of the hospital had been dimmed, giving Marcus the advantage as he slipped out with his captive and headed to the stairwell about seventy-five feet down the corridor. 

Duo studied his kidnaper's face as Marcus opened the door and began to descend the stairs. The man he had once thought handsome now looked anything but that as his facial features looked grim with determination as he made his escape with his captive.

Duo was more than surprised to see that they exited the stairwell on the second floor and, not more than ten feet from it, Marcus entered the room marked JANITOR. He switched the light on as the door closed and Duo could see the room was lined with metal shelves holding a variety of cleaning and paper supplies as well as mops, buckets, brooms and an industrial sized vacuum cleaner. Marcus bent and set him down on his feet, and immediately, Duo felt his knees start to buckle. Grabbing onto the nearest shelf, he managed to stay upright, not willing to be a easy victim on the floor for his kidnaper, knowing in truth that he was hanging on for dear life.

Marcus took a step closer and brought his hand up the slender back exposed through the open back of the hospital gown. The cold hands on his fevered skin sent a shiver up Duo's spine. "I like this style on you, Max." The man's voice close to his bandaged ear sounded like a satisfied purr. "Very accessible." His hands wandered down his back to cup one of the rounded globes of Duo's bottom and gave it a hard squeeze.

Duo moaned, his legs shaking with the need to sit down. It was only by the strength of his will that he held onto the shelf, knowing that being on the floor would put him in an even more vulnerable position. 'Have to hold out,' he told himself, 'and wait for the right moment.'

"Wish I had more time to do all I wasn't able to last time we were together," Marcus began again as he leaned forward and began to nuzzle the warm, slender neck just below him. Duo shook his head, trying to discourage him, when suddenly, Marcus grabbed him by the back of his braid at the nape of his neck and savagely pulled. Duo cried out, the sound muffled behind the thick tape over his mouth. He found himself pulled up tightly against the taller man's chest, an arm, solid as an iron bar, wrapped around his waist to keep him there.

"This is just a warning, Max." Marcus's voice was low and ominous. "If you or your lover testify against me in court, I'll see to it that it's the last thing either of you ever do. I've got the money and contacts that will do anything I want, even if I'm behind bars. You will never be safe, and neither will Zero." He paused and chuckled, knowing the misuse of Heero's name always bothered his captive. "He could be out for a jog or buying groceries, maybe even driving to work or tending his garden when bam, the sound of a high power rifle goes off and your lover truly becomes a Zero."

With his head held against Marcus' chest, his braid being an effective rope in keeping him there, Duo could hardly move, and he stood horrified as the hand resting tightly on his stomach moved upward to his face and to his right ear lobe, the one that had been operated only hours ago.

"I heard my little pet mark got infected and that part of your ear had to be cut off," Marcus said in a voice that was much too smug. Though somewhat distracted by the hand moving toward the throbbing ear, Duo concentrated on the position of Marcus's body behind him. His attacker's larger feet were to either side of his own, his ribs in a vulnerable position for an elbow. This was it, he realized, his one chance. Then suddenly, pain erupted and overrode this thoughts as a cruel hand grabbed tightly onto his bandaged ear. Duo screamed through the tape covering his mouth at the agony shooting through his head, and he reacted instinctively as his brain reeled in response to the pain and his knees threatened to buckle. 

The move took only a three seconds: the first second for his knee to raise and forcefully drop, bringing his heel down to stomp on the top of the larger man's right foot; the second for his left elbow to fly back and connect with Marcus's unprotected ribs, and the third to spin his body around with his last vestige of strength, and using the momentum of the spin while planting his feet, he forcefully brought the heel of his right hand around and push upward, hitting the taller man at the base of his nose. Even in his nearly unconscious state Duo sensed his aim had been true. In the second following his attempt to disable Marcus and escape, he watched through his darkening vision as the room tilted, the body he was collapsing against began to fall backwards. Because his braid was still firmly clutched possessively in his hand, Marcus pulled Duo down along with him to the hard and cold linoleum floor. A moment after crashing to the solid surface, both the kidnapper and his victim lay still, Duo was sprawled on top of the larger unmoving body beneath him. With his energy spent, knowing he didn't have the strength to do anything more, Duo succumbed into the welcoming, pain free state of unconsciousness.

Wufei checked back into the hospital through the front security desk about forty minutes from the time he'd left to take Heero to his apartment. He led his nearly stumbling-from-exhaustion friend to the guest bedroom and pulled back the covers. Heero sat down heavily and collapsed into a heap onto the bed, leaving Wufei to take off his shoes, remove the belt from his jeans, and lift his legs up in order to pull the blanket over the energy depleted body.

Shutting the bedroom door with a sigh of relief, Wufei allowed him self a feeling of gratitude that, where Duo was concerned, the worst seemed to be over. He looked at his watch and tried to calculate the time on L-4. If he called at that moment he might be able to give the good news to Quatre and Trowa. He shook his head with a smile. He had spent at least a portion of every hour talking to one or both of them regarding their friend's condition. Heero was right, someone needed to figure out a way for Quatre not to worry so much.

He went to his own room and put on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve tee-shirt, as the hospital always seemed cold. From his room he placed a call to Quatre's cell. After two rings he heard the familiar voice pick up.

"Wufei, is everything alright? How's Duo?"

"Calm down Winner," Wufei ordered with a slight smile and a chuckle. "I'm calling you with good news," he began, and paused as he heard Quatre relay his words to someone that he could only assume was Trowa. "Duo's fever has dropped rather dramatically. " Wufei continued. "He's resting a bit better and I even got Heero to come to my place and rest for a few hours."

"Praise be to Allah," Quatre whispered, then spoke to Wufei. "How is Heero holding up?"

"He's exhausted," Wufei said as he pulled on one sleeve of his jacket, then shifted the phone to the other ear as he begin to slide his other arm into its sleeve. "I'm going back to sit with Duo until morning, so if you need me, use my cell number."

"We're leaving here in a half hour and should be there by noon your time."

"You might as well come straight to the hospital, that's where we'll probably be." Wufei spoke as he moved to his dresser and picked up his wallet and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Give our best to the both of them, okay?"

"I will. See you soon," Wufei said in conclusion, and hit the off button. He smiled at the phone for a moment, feeling fortunate to have such good and caring friends. He knew without a doubt, that if he were in the same situation as Duo, the other four would be there for him.

He left the apartment without a sound to disturb Heero and made a quick stop at a twenty-four hour convenience store for a large coffee and a magazine to help pass the long hours ahead of him. Reaching the hospital, he paused to talk for a moment to the security guard sitting behind the reception desk at the front entrance of the hospital. He then went to the elevator and took it up to the third floor. The hospital at night was eerily quite, his footsteps echoed loudly on the linoleum tiles as he walked past the nurses' station, giving the ladies a nod before opening the door to room 322. 

The room was dark, which seemed unusual as there had always been some light on to allow the nurses to check regularly on their patient during the night. He didn't notice anything wrong until he approached the chair next to the bed, and then it was clear that Duo was not where he should be. He wondered for a moment if he'd gotten the wrong room. Placing his coffee cup down on the tray, he moved to the wall and turned on the light. Looking back at the bed he realized that something was terribly wrong. He ran back to it, his eyes quickly taking in the fact that the I.V. needle lay on the floor on the far side of the bed and that the catheter tube on the bed had been severed.

Fear and bile rose in his throat and he ran from the room to the nurses' station. "Where is he?" he demanded, not bothering to keep his voice down.

All three women looked up in alarm. "Mr. Peacecraft?" one of them asked.

"He's gone from his bed. Where is he?" Wufei demanded.

All three women rushed to the room to see for themselves that what Wufei had reported was true. He could hear them checking the bathroom and small closet.

As soon as they exited the room, they split up to check the other rooms, clearly in a state of controlled panic. Wufei knew then that they had no idea where Duo was. Knowing his friend was in no condition to walk out by himself, that left only one heart-wrenching alternative, Marcus Standish.

One of the nurses came back to the desk and, without even looking at the Chinese man, picked up the phone. "Security alert," she said into the receiver. "We have a patient missing who needs to be found immediately," she told the person on the other end of the line and then began to describe Duo to them. Wufei left her to her job as she seemed to be doing it well. He walked with determined steps to the end of the corridor and began a systematic search of each room, whether they were occupied or not. He wrestled with himself over whether or not he should call Heero. His friend was exhausted and might not even hear the phone ring, but if he didn't call and something horrible happened to Duo, he would never be forgiven for not giving Heero a chance at finding him. That argument won out and he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed his home phone number, remembering Heero had turned off his cell earlier at the night nurse's request. His voice recorder picked up. This wasn't something he wanted to say over the answering machine, so he left a brief message telling Heero that something had come up at the hospital and that he was to call him as soon as he got the message.

Passing the nurses station, the nurse who had made the call to security approached him. "Security is starting their search on the first and fifth floors and will work their way here as I informed them a Preventer agent was searching this floor."

Wufei's eyes narrowed. "How did you know I worked for the Preventers?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She blushed slightly before answering. "The women on the floor have described you very well as each new shift came on. You have worn your uniform and we've quite a few single ladies that work here," she explained and was clearly embarrassed by it, making him feel bad for thinking the worst of them.

"I'm sorry," he said, politely contrite. "But this is very upsetting."

"I understand," she said with eyes softening. "We'll find him. He couldn't have gone far in his condition."

"Someone took him," Wufei told her, then moved off quickly to continue his search.

He turned from the woman and went directly to the end of the hall and checked the stairwell. Finding no trace of his friend, he doubled back to check the stairwell on the opposite end of the long corridor, nearer to Duo's room. He paused to consider whether he should go up or down the stairs, but decided quickly that, if Standish took Duo, he would want to leave the building to lessen his chance at getting caught. He raced down the steps and opened the heavy door to the second floor. 

Just like on the third floor, the were two supply rooms at the end of the long corridors. One was a linen supply room and the other a janitorial room. He tried the linen room and found it clean and empty of anything but sheets and towels. Then entering the janitor's room across from it, he flipped on the switch and walked in only to have his eyes widen in shock and his heart dropped into his stomach. On the floor before him lay Standish, blood dripping from his nose and eyes that were frozen wide open with the look of shock. He was obviously dead, and lying directly on top of his body was Duo, his face turned away from the doorway and sprawled out and unmoving, his hospital gown partially open in the back and his braid of hair was clasped in Marcus Standish's death grip.

Shaking himself out of the shock he felt, he rushed to Duo and knelt down by him. Lifting his slack wrist, he quickly checked for a pulse. He nearly wept to find his friend alive, his pulse was steady and body was still radiating the heat from his fever. The only added wound he observed was the bloodied bandage that covered this right ear. He gently pried the foot-long braid out of the other man's frozen grip and quickly lifted Duo into his arms, cradling his friend against his chest. He gazed down onto the handsome face and frowned at the grey electrical tape pressed over his mouth. He paused for only a moment with some hesitation, fearing that in removing the tape he might hurt his friend who had already suffered so much. Knowing it would have to come off in any case, he reached down and peeled it off as slowly and carefully as he could. As the last edge was pulled free of Duo's cheek, the piece of tape was thrown down onto the floor. Then tightening his hold on the limp body, Wufei rose to his feet. Without hesitating, he exited out the door, leaving the dead man behind with no thought of remorse for him and rushed to the nearest nurses' station.

The women at the desk looked up in shock at him as he approached with Duo in his arms and sharply barking out orders. "Call security, I've found the missing patient and his attacker in the janitor's closet. Alert the authorities as the other man is dead and get me a doctor this instant!"

Patients on the second floor awoke to the loud disturbance in the usually quiet corridor as nurses, doctors and security crowded around the Chinese man who was cradling an unconscious man protectively to his chest while fielding questions.

Wufei became Duo's shadow as the doctors ushered the two back to room 322 and gave the unconscious man a quick once over. As he watched, Wufei brought out his cell phone and tried his apartment again. This time Heero picked it up and with a very groggy and irritable greeting of, "What?"

"Heero, I need you to come to the hospital now. Call a cab and don't stop." 

"What's happened?" Heero asked, coming awake instantly, and from over the phone line, Wufei could hear he was already in motion.

"Marcus took Duo from his room while I was gone," he began, but was stopped by Heero's angry interruption.

"I'll kill him, Wufei. Did you find them?"

"I found Duo unconscious in a janitor's closet, the doctors are checking him over now.

"Oh god," Heero moaned in dismay.

"I think he's alright, Heero. I didn't see any wounds. But I also found Standish."

"Did you kill him?" Heero asked sternly.

"No, but Duo did."

There was silence for a moment as Heero digested the information. "I'll be right there. Call the others."

"Quatre and Trowa left L-4 already, they'll be here around noon."

"Then call the Peacecrafts, they'll want to know."

"Hurry." Wufei urged, knowing Duo would need him when he woke up.

"I'm there." 

Wufei took in a deep breath and then called Relena, not knowing her brother's phone number.

The doctors had left the room concluding that Duo had over extended himself and had collapsed from exhaustion. His fever had risen slightly to one hundred one point six degrees, but they were still encouraged by his progress. They admonished Wufei to not disturb his sleep, then left him alone in the room with his friend, properly hooked up to the machines again and the bandage on his wounded ear replaced.

Heero burst into the room ten minutes from when the call had been placed. His eyes were wide and frantic as they fixed on the still form on the bed. He rushed to Duo's side and, after studying his face for a moment, lowered his own face until his cheek brushed Duo's. Then bringing his hands up, he cradled his head in his hands and gently kissed the stilled lips.

"We're suppose to let him sleep," Wufei cautioned him and rose from the chair to allow Heero to sit next to the bed. Heero sat heavily and immediately took Duo's slack hand into his own. He lowered his forehead onto the back of the pale-skinned hand. "Are we destined to live our lives on the edge of danger?" he asked in an agonized voice. "Will we ever know normalcy and peace?"

Wufei put his hand on Heero's shoulder, offering what comfort he could. "It's over Heero. Marcus can never hurt Duo or anyone else ever again." Heero nodded, taking some measure of comfort from that fact. "He's getting better," Wufei continued, attempting to fill in the hollow silence of the room. "He's being given another chance with you."

"Do you know how many second chances he's had Wufei?" Heero said, his manner intensely seriousness. "His life has been a series of second chances, and I guess with my life so entwined with his, I am the beneficiary of second chances too."

"The gift of a second chance should be held as an honor given to someone being one worthy of it, someone who will recognize it and take it for all it's worth. Duo is certainly worthy of every second chance he's ever gotten. And one should never let a second chance pass them by without appreciating the gift that is being given." Wufei replied, and was surprised when Heero chuckled at his words.

"I wasn't aware that I said anything funny." He frowned at his friend, wondering if he should be insulted.

"You just sounded like a fortune cookie," Heero replied in a weary voice, obviously not rested from his brief nap. Wufei checked his watch, it was nearly five in the morning and through the window he could see it was still dark outside.

"You need to get some rest, Heero. Duo's going to need you today."

The former Perfect Soldier nodded and leaned his upper body against the bed, putting his head down on his arms. Wufei shook his head at the man's stubbornness.

Moving towards the two he knelt down and, for the second time that morning, unlaced Heero's shoes and took them off. He then stood and grabbed Heero's shoulders and pulled him away from the bed only to then pull down the blankets that surrounded Duo. "Climb in," he ordered the bleary-eyed man looking at him in confusion. Heero slowly shifted his eyes to the bed and with only a moments hesitation, carefully climbed onto the high bed and lay next to his sleeping lover. Cautiously moving to avoid the I.V. line, he pulled the still very warm and limp body into his arms. It took only a moment of adjusting to get comfortable before Heero joined Duo in an exhausted sleep.

TBC

One more to go!


	16. part 16

Authors note: Can't have a last chapter without thanking all those who have written to say they enjoyed this story, and the biggest thanks of all going to my e-mail friend, Swordy, who tries to catch all my typos and mistakes that slip by so easily. Thank you all.

Second Chances

By: Dyna Dee

Warnings and disclaimers on first page of fic.

Chapter 16

From the Journal of Maximilian Duo Peacecraft

From the moment I came to myself in the hospital, after Marcus Standish kidnaped me from my hospital room, I knew my life had suddenly changed for the better, again. Don't ask me how I knew, because no one can know or understand those changes unless they've been the former recipient of a second chance. 

The first thing I was aware of was the sound of people talking quietly, their voices soft, carrying nothing other than a low murmuring sound. The next few sensations I felt included the fact that I was warm, not burning up with the blazing heat that had nearly consumed my body and brain for what seemed endless days, but a cozy, comfortable warmth of being wrapped up in your favorite blanket. I felt arms around me, not holding me down, but tenderly cradling me. The comforting sound of a steady heart beat within a solid chest came from under my left ear and the familiar smell I'd come to know as Heero's was breathed in, giving me wonderful reassurance that I was being protected.

I was content for that moment, feeling all was right in my world. Then into my sluggish mind came the sensation of pain. My right ear suddenly felt like it had been drilled with a jack hammer and I became aware that my body and limbs felt heavy and my right butt cheek hurt like it had been caught in a vice. Suddenly, images of Marcus came to mind, of him kissing me, taping my mouth and carrying me from my hospital bed down the stairwell and into a janitor's closet. I remember not wanting to slip to the floor and holding on to the cold, metal shelves for support. And then I remembered his hands; oh God, he touched me.

I heard myself gasp in reaction to my returning memory, my heart started racing in my chest because of it and my hand clutched at the material covering my lover's chest.

"Shh, it's alright, Duo. I've got you now." Heero's sleep filled voice carried into my panic and softened its edges.

"Is he awake?" I heard Wufei ask, his voice deep with concern.

"Yes," I answered in a sleep-roughened voice and slowly blinked my heavy eyelids open.

Wufei's face was less than a foot away from mine and I would have jumped, startled from the close proximity, but I was just too weak to move. His hand reached out and came to rest on my forehead. It was wondrously cool to the touch and more tender than I thought my Chinese friend could be. Pulling his hand away, he smiled at me. "Your fever's down," he said with a look of relief on his face.

Heero's arms, wrapped around me, tightened just slightly into a hug.

"How did I get back here?" I asked, confused at what had happened in the janitor's closet.

"I came back from taking Heero to my house and instituted a search when I discovered you were gone," Wufei reported. "I found you and Marcus in the janitor's room on the next floor down."

"Did you kill the bastard?" I asked as a shudder went through my body at the thought of Marcus having me so helpless and at his mercy again.

The room went silent for a moment and I became alarmed. "He didn't get away did he? He's not going to come after me again, is he?" I knew I was beginning to panic at the thought that he might find some way around my defenses yet again to become my tormentor or carry out on his threats to have Heero murdered.

"No, he didn't get away." Heero's voice rumbled under my ear and I felt his hand petting my braided hair. I wanted to lift my head to look into his eyes, but it was just too damn heavy. I realized once again just how weak I was as a result of the long, high fever.

"Is he in custody?"

"No."

I looked to Wufei as I couldn't lift my head to see Heero, his dark eyes seemed troubled. I then noticed that those eyes that I was focusing on were turned to Heero, exchanging some sort of silent communication. Damn, I've always hated it when they did that.

"How much do you remember?" Wufei asked me. He then turned and by the scrape of the legs of the chair I could tell he was bringing one close to the bed so he could sit down. As he did, I could see that we weren't alone. Milliardo was also in the room, but slightly behind Wufei. His worried eyes were fastened on me.

"Hey pops," I said, trying hard for the joking tone I always put in that teasing greeting, but failed because my voice sounded as tired as I felt.

The tall blond man who had been my friend and mentor for three years moved closer to the bed and studied me. "How are you Max?" he asked, his face and voice were somber.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. Everyone's tense attention was beginning to put my senses on alert that something was terribly wrong.

Heero's hand began to stroke my arm. "If you feel up to it, can you tell us what you remember?" he asked. I could tell they all wanted to know what happened, but instead of pushing, Heero's tone and manner was gentle and reassuring.

I closed my eyes in order to concentrate. "I woke up with his hand over my mouth and his voice in my ear." I began in a quiet voice. 

Wufei leaned forward, folding his arms to rest on the bed, he then bent to rest his chin on them. Now that he was closer, I realized he had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and felt guilty knowing that I was the cause of it. "Go on, Duo. What else do you remember?"

I swallowed, not liking where my memories were taking me. "Marcus replaced his hand with his mouth and he kissed me, hard." I felt Heero's body stiffen beneath me but his hand kept moving on my arm, urging me to continue. "I could hear the sound of tape being peeled off from a roll, and the moment he lifted his mouth from mine, he put the masking tape over my mouth to keep me from calling for help."

Wufei nodded, knowing about the tape.

"I tried to fight him off, but I was too weak, and I realized then that he knew it too and thought it was funny. I decided to play into my weakness, letting him think I was totally helpless and, when the time was right, I planned on using whatever strength I had to surprise him and escape or at least alert someone, if that was possible."

"Then someone opened the door, or maybe that came later, I can't be sure, and I thought I was going to be saved, but a woman's voice told him to hurry up. He had an accomplice that must have tipped him off that I was alone."

"A woman's voice, you're sure?" Wufei asked, a deep frown forming on his tired face.

I gave a slight nod, feeling weariness overcoming me.

"Did you see her?"

"No, the light was out in the room so she was barely a silhouette in the doorway, but she was obviously keeping watch."

My throat was dry and I started to cough. Milliardo came to my rescue with a cup of water and a straw. Heero sat up, pulling me up with him, and held me to make it easier to drink, which I did just as fast as I could suck it greedily through the pink and white striped plastic straw. When I was done, everyone settled back down and waited for me to continue. The bed was raised and for the first time since I'd awakened, I was able to look into Heero's eyes. The emotions swirling in them seemed a mixture of deep love and worry. I felt an overwhelming need to remove that look of worry from them so I could selfishly see only love reflected in the beautiful blue eyes when they gazed into mine. Heero must have sensed my need because, regardless of the fact that there were two other people in the room, heterosexual men at that, he leaned down and kissed me gently on the lips, lingering for just a moment before pulling back. We didn't need words at the moment to express our love for each other.

The sound of someone clearing his voice brought the two of us back to an awareness of our surroundings. I smiled a bit sheepishly at the other two men in the room and was glad to not see them frowning in disapproval. In fact, both of them had amused smiles on their faces.

Heero and I resettled back down into my pillows and Wufei leaned towards the bed again. "Go on Duo," he said. "You left off saying you would reserve what energy you had to escape."

I nodded. "He threw back the blankets and saw that I was hooked up to a catheter and the I.V." I looked up at them perplexed. "I remember the I.V., but when did someone hook me up to a catheter and I not know it? I mean, geeze." I was embarrassed at the thought of some touching me in order to attach one of those devices on me.

"It was after your seizure. It was necessary in your condition and for the fact that you were going into surgery." Heero supplied the answer. I could only nod as I had no recollection of that time.

"Marcus had a knife and cut the catheter tube and pulled the I.V. out of my arm. He then picked me up and took me out of here and down the stairs. I remember a storage room, a janitor's closet." I paused to let my mind go over those unsettling moments. "He stood me against a shelf of some kind and I just remember focusing on staying on my feet knowing that if I collapsed onto the floor that it would leave me too vulnerable to an attack." Again I swallowed hard as memories rushed back, in a strained whisper I continued. "He was touching me and talking to me, threatening me and Heero if I pressed charges and testified against him, and then his hand went down my back." A shiver of revulsion shot through my body as I recalled his hands sliding down to my bottom. "He grabbed me so hard that I almost lost my footing. He kept saying things, I'm not sure of now, but I do remember his hand moving up to my sore ear." Shutting his eyes, Duo's body shuddered. "He grabbed hold of it to cause me pain, and I think that's when I passed out," I told them, and that's where my memory of the kidnaping ended.

There was an air of expectancy in the room. "You don't remember anything else?" Wufei asked, looking skeptical.

I closed my eyes, knowing they wanted me to remember more, but only remembering a fleeting ghost of a memory, more like a feeling that my moment had come, my one chance to escape Marcus and what he was doing to me. That was all I had to go on. I told them that, then clutched at Heero, knowing I was missing something important.

"What happened?" I asked, not really sure I wanted to know. Did Marcus violate me? I did a mental check on my body but could only feel heavy lethargy in my limbs and the throbbing ache of my ear and a much duller ache on the right cheek of my bottom.

"I found you ten minutes after I discovered you were gone." Wufei began, his voice cautious and, when I opened my eyes, I could see him visually consulting with Heero just before his dark eyes turned back to mine. "I found you lying unconscious on top of Marcus," he continued. "And Marcus was laying on his back, dead. Evidently you found enough strength to defend yourself and took the one moment of opportunity to do so."

Heero's arms went around me, giving me the feeling of being secure, but more questions filled my mind. "I killed him?" I asked, not seeing how I could have done it in my present state of weakness.

"Yes." Wufei answered, and over his shoulder I could see the worry on Milliardo's face.

"Am I in trouble with the law?" My voice trembled slightly as fear started to climb into bed with me and Heero.

It was now Wufei's turn to offer some comfort. "It seems like a pretty clear cut case of self defense to me," he began. "You were incapacitated and Marcus had a restraining order against him. He clearly was set out to break the law and bring you further harm. I don't think any justifiable charges could be brought against you."

The room went still as I took it all in. I felt an ache in my heart and tried to express my feelings. "I thought that killing was behind me. That I buried it along with the street kid and the gundam pilot." I spoke listlessly, feeling a heavy weight of despair within me that I still had the ability and instincts to kill.

"You are who you are, Max." Milliardo spoke up as he stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed by Heero's legs. "You didn't lose the child from L-2, nor the rough and ready gundam pilot when you became Maximilian Peacecraft. You just polished up the war-torn child and forged the reckless teenager into the man you wanted to become, the man you were truly destined to be. You wouldn't be the loving person you are to your family and friends if you denied the other parts of you. And when you needed them the most, the strength of the homeless child and the gutsy pilot came to your rescue. Those are the parts of you that saved you from Marcus."

I gave my adopted father, my friend, a watery smile, thanking him for understanding and trying to help me in reconciling those parts of myself.

Then I heard Heero's voice speak next to me, his lips moving against my hair. "It was the rowdy, devil-may-care pilot that I fell in love with. Duo Maxwell, the sometimes obnoxious, impulsive teenager in the priest's getup that took hold of my heart and gave me hope, love and friendship. If he wasn't within you still, I don't know how I could love you so much. Don't push him away completely Duo, because I still need him, and I'm certain that you do too."

I nodded, realizing that what both he and Milliardo were saying was true. I was a combination of all three personalities: the little boy who was hungry for food and love and some kind of home; the teenage boy who had the instincts of a street fighter and the biting sense of humor that masked most of his true hurt and need, and the proper son of an influential family, who could enter a large room with confidence, converse politely with ninety year old women, dance the waltz, know which fork or spoon to use in a nine course dinner and keep my mouth shut when necessary. I was all of them combined in my twenty-year-old body that just happened to be exhausted. But even though I was too tired to do anything for myself for a couple of days, I did manage to begin to reconcile my past with my present and future. 

Before I could gather the energy to say what I was feeling, the four of us heard a commotion out in the hospital corridor, directly outside my closed door. Voices were raised, not in shouting, but in disagreement. Suddenly, the door burst open and two people literally threw themselves past what looked to be a harried policeman attempting to block their entry. 

"No one is allowed entry to this room," the uniformed officer told the newcomers as he followed them into the room.

"I told you," Quatre said in an angry, adamant huff. "We're family, and there's no way you're keeping us from them."

Trowa stood behind his lover with an amused smile on his face. He looked from the flabbergasted man in the doorway to the four sitting on or lying in the bed watching the scene playing out before them. Then with the same smile on his face, he shrugged his shoulders and patted Quatre's back to calm him.

"It's alright." Wufei stood up from his chair and went to correct the situation. Trowa then wandered over to the bed, his smile slipping as he took in the exhausted faces of his three friends.

"I'm sorry," he said, directing his comments to Heero and Duo. "If we had been here we might have prevented this from happening."

"You've been around Quatre too long." Heero yawned as he spoke. "It's not your fault that this happened."

Trowa opened his mouth to say more but was stopped when his lover. Having finished dealing with the obstinate guard that had refused their entrance to the room, Quatre literally threw himself onto the bed and wrapped his arms around both of the semi-reclining occupants.

Wufei looked to Trowa, wondering what the hell the Arabian was doing. But his legally bound lover only smiled lovingly at the scene before him.

"I'm okay, Quatre. Don't worry so much." I managed to say despite strands of silky blond hair in my mouth and a few tickling my nose.

Quatre pulled back and gave me a look that was filled with pain. After silently gazing at each other for a moment, my blond friend cupped my face in his hands and leaned forward to kiss me full on the lips, lingering for several seconds, just enough to get Heero riled.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. "Promise me Duo that you'll settle down with Heero and live a normal and safe life. No more drama, okay? I want you to promise me this because I think I can feel the grey hairs pushing out though my scalp as we speak. You're aging me my friend, so I can't image what you're doing to Heero."

He was right, and I had every intention of keeping my word as I gave him the promise he was seeking. It was actually quite funny to watch his face when it suddenly came to him what he'd just done on impulse and the possible ramifications. In realizing he'd given me a pretty nice kiss in front of my lover, known in the past to be possessive and jealous, he looked up nervously at Heero to see the familiar frown on his face that he always received when he was too affectionate with me. Wanting to smooth it over, he shifted a little, brought both of his hand up and put them on both of Heero's cheeks, just as he had mine, and repeated the action by kissing my lover in the exact same manner as I had been kissed moments before. Heero's eyes were wide with shock when Quatre finally pulled away, causing Trowa, Milliardo, Wufei and I to laugh out loud.

Lu, May and Relena entered the room about then, and plans for my release from the hospital began.

I was allowed to leave the hospital a week after my fever had dropped and my family had me out the back door of the hospital in the middle of the night to avoid the many newspaper and television reporters who were camped out in the lobby of the hospital and around the front entrance. They were all hoping to get a picture of the Peacecraft boy who had been sexually assaulted by the son of another socially prominent family, who had been caught in the act and beaten up by the victim's boyfriend, then hospitalized and put under arrest on scandalous charges that rocked the upper class society the Peacecraft and Standish families belonged to. When the press learned that Marcus was then found dead in a janitor's closet, killed by his very ill and weak victim after he had been kidnaped by him, well, let's just say it was the kind of news that sold papers and magazines. As the story was told through police reports and in a local news report, it sounded like a real-life soap opera or a movie of the week plot, too tempting for the news agencies to pass by, and the press and public became rabid for all the details.

Heero and I stayed at my former home with my parents, sister and a staff that waited hand and foot on us until some of my strength returned. I had plastic surgery on my once infected ear and unless you're up close, you can't tell there's been work done on it.

It's now been three months since that night in Marcus Standish's home and I can almost say I'm over it. Sometimes it seems like a bad, fading dream and at other times it's the cause of nightmares. Several times I woke up with a shout, shaking with the desperation to escape the memory of cruel hands and teeth. It's helped a lot that when I wake up with these night terrors, Heero is always there at my side, his arms are around me, his comforting words and soft kisses cause the dark memories and bad dreams to evaporate, much like the fog that covers the valley below our mountain-side home that dissipates under the warmth of the sun shining down on it. Without a doubt Heero is my sun.

For the first month after I was released from the hospital following my surgery, I retreated with Heero to the house on the hill, our home. It was my sanctuary from the clambering press and the stares of stranger with looks of sympathy and/or disgust. I healed physically and emotionally with the love and care of my family and friends, who visited so frequently that it seemed they lived with us, and also with the help of a therapist Sally recommended.

My first trip back into Sanq was the day I picked up my books for school. Heero and Milliardo were at my side as moral support and protection from any unwanted advances or criticism by the press or public.

The day after Marcus's kidnaping attempt, Heero typed up his resignation and gave it to Relena, who cried. I tried to talk him out of it, but he said he'd had one dream come true when I came back to him and thought it was a good enough sign that maybe there were more dreams to be had. He's going to major in Architectural Engineering when the fall semester starts.

Is it possible to love a person more with each passing day? At the risk of sounding mushy or feminine I'd have to say that I've become a believer that our love has grown beyond even my expectations. Heero is everything to me. And despite the fact that we're living together and with each other all the time, he continues to "date" me as he initially intended when I told him to win me. I find notes around the house addressed to me asking if I'll go with him for a hike, a picnic, a ride in the car or out to dinner or a movie. He used to strive to be the perfect soldier, but now he is striving and more than succeeding at being the perfect lover. 

As for my family, they couldn't be more supportive. In fact, next week they're throwing a huge party for Heero and I where we will officially sign the papers making us legal and binding partners for life. May wanted to call the party a wedding and our partnership a marriage, but I told her a wedding ceremony and a marriage would always be in my mind the traditional joining of a man and his wife, male and female. It was a tradition started long before people of the same sex began to openly become couples, that I didn't want to take away from that institution with what Heero and I have. I told her we are anything but traditional and we weren't getting married, but we were celebrating a legal and emotional joining of souls. She seemed to like that explanation and let go of the idea of us walking down an isle with grooms and flower bouquets. 

Relena and Wufei seemed to have really hit it off. Who knew Heero could be such a great matchmaker? Wufei intimated to Heero that he admired Relena greatly and felt they might have a future together. All it took was one look at the dreamy-eyed Relena to see she felt the same way. Wufei has changed. He's become softer around the edges and wears his hair down now when he's not working.

Quatre and Trowa have been hanging around a lot. They asked us a week ago if they would be intruding on our space if they bought a plot of land on the other side of the mountain and built a house there. Quatre's eyes danced with excitement saying they could enjoy the morning sunrise from their side of the mountain and the magnificent sunsets over the ocean from our home. The sale goes into escrow tomorrow.

  
  


"Duo, are you ready yet?" Heero's voice came from the bedroom and his footsteps alerted the journal writer to hurry and finish his task.

"Yeah, just a minute," he replied, then put his pen back on the paper.

  
  


So all is well with Heero and I and our friends. Life is better than I ever dreamed it could be. All the pain and hurt from the past have been long forgiven and forgotten, healed by genuine love and concern for each other. I'm amazed at the second chances I've received, and with Heero by my side I intend to show those who have given me those second chances that I was worth it. 

This is the last journal entry of Maximilian Duo Peacecraft. When I open a new journal, it will be in the name of Maximilian Duo Peacecraft-Yuy. Yeah, believe me, I know it's a long name. But in accepting my past as part of my present and future, I decided to keep the names Maximilian and Peacecraft for my family, owing so much to Mill and Lu for giving me a chance to know what a family truly is along with genuine love, concern and a future. I will proudly bear their family name. 

As my name changes once again, I find that I can't leave behind the name Duo, though only my war-time buddies call me that now. I need to keep it for the street kid in me, to remember my ties to those who died too young and tragically. Besides, there's nothing in heaven or on earth that can thrill me as much as Heero saying my name in a deep, husky voice filled with need and desire. Nope, I gotta keep the name he calls me in moments of passion. I've given up the name Maxwell, though Maximilian is very close. But as I look to the mantle of our fireplace, to the glass case that holds my yard long braid cut three years ago, I remember well the people who died at the hands of the Alliance, of gentle hands braiding that very hair, and that the long length represented years of hunger, loneliness, need and grief. I needed to put that part of my past aside to begin again, but I know that I can never really forget it.

Soon, I'll take on the last name of Yuy, and happily. Heero is my future, and in taking his name I'm showing my determination to stay with him always and make our union of souls work. I'm signing off for the last time as Maximilian Duo Peacecraft

  
  


With a sigh of contentment at a job completed, the braided haired young man closed his journal and turned his head to look at his companion who had been appreciatively watching him for the last few minutes while leaning against the corner of the hallway and the living room walls with his arms folded over his chest and a smile on his face.

Duo stood and walked toward the person he thought the most handsome man he'd ever known. As he drew closer, he could see within his lover's eyes that the sentiment was returned.

"Why do Quatre and Trowa have to have such a fancy celebration of their second anniversary?" Duo asked, not feeling comfortable in the fitted, formal suit he was wearing.

"Because Quatre's a Winner. It's expected of him because of his name and position. Plus," Heero added with an amused smile, "he likes to show Trowa off as much as possible."

"I know the feeling," Duo replied in a husky voice, then leaned forward to receive Heero's hungry kiss. Their arms quickly wrapped around each other, holding tightly, and things started to get heated very quickly. To Duo's disappointment, Heero ended the kiss and stepped back.

"Oh no you don't," Heero gently scolded his lover with a chuckle and a smile. "We can't be late this time. We'll never hear the end of the teasing if we show up late again."

Duo pouted, mostly for Heero's benefit because he knew he liked it. "Then you better make it up to me later," he said saucily.

With a naughty grin, Heero answered, "I will," telling his lover without further words that when he did make it up, it would be very, very good.

The End

  
  


Well, that's the end of that. Hope you enjoyed it!

  
  



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